Key Points

• What do a medical stock and a coffee stock have in common? Strong revenue and consistent profits.

• Intuitive Surgical has a simple but effective model that has seen it through its fair share of market storms.

• Dutch Bros is leveraging a tried-and-true approach to implement its next wave of expansion.

• 10 stocks we like better than Intuitive Surgical ›

Investing in stocks for the long term can help you build a profitable portfolio that enables you to meet your personal financial goals. Not every stock will be a winner, and no investor is perfect. If you're investing in businesses for a long while, and only putting cash into stocks that you intend to hold for a minimum period of several years, this can help you narrow down the list of contenders for your portfolio.

If you're on the hunt for two stocks to buy and have cash to invest right now (money that you don't need for bills or other financial commitments), here are two fantastic stocks to consider putting all or part of that amount toward and holding for five years at least.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) has been a leader in surgical robotics for over two decades, since its first da Vinci system was approved. Today, its systems are approved for minimally invasive surgical procedures across various specialties, including urology, gynecology, general surgery, thoracic surgery, and cardiac surgery. Intuitive Surgical also sells the Ion system for minimally invasive lung biopsies.

The company's business model is somewhat unique in the medical device stock space because it makes money primarily through a "razor-and-blades" approach. It sells its systems, such as the da Vinci surgical system (the "razor") to healthcare providers either outright, through a usage-based system, or sales-type lease. However, Intuitive Surgical generates the majority of its revenue from the ongoing sale of instruments and accessories used with the system (the "blades") and from service contracts for maintenance and support.

This means that most of the company's revenue is from recurring sources, a figure that has risen steadily over the years. Consider Intuitive Surgical's Q2 financial results as an example. In the three-month period, the company reported total revenue of $2.4 billion, a 21% increase from one year ago. Out of that revenue total, $1.47 billion was from instruments and accessories sales, $574.7 million from system sales, and $391.2 million from services related to its surgical systems.

The quarter also marked Intuitive Surgical's 10,488th installment of a da Vinci surgical system, leaving it with an installed base that was up 14% from the year-ago period.

Intuitive Surgical has an impressive track record of being incredibly profitable. Its Q2 net income totaled $664 million, up 25% year over year. However, over the trailing five-year period, Intuitive Surgical has grown its annual earnings by a whopping 119%. Those growth figures have made plenty of investors interested in the stock, and I'm not here to tell you that Intuitive Surgical is trading cheap (its current price-to-earnings ratio is around 70).

That being said, the adoption of surgical robotics is still in its relatively early stages, giving Intuitive Surgical a prolonged runway for growth in both mature and emerging markets. For investors with an investment horizon of five years or more, this monster stock could be a compelling portfolio addition.

2. Dutch Bros

Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) has managed to make significant headway as a business in a highly competitive industry, all while growing its chain of coffee shops and delivering increasingly impressive financials in the process. The company's business model focuses on no-frills, drive-thru locations, emphasizing speed, customer service, and a limited menu of unique beverages.

This approach has allowed Dutch Bros to cultivate a loyal customer base and expand rapidly with lower overhead costs, a key differentiator from more traditional coffee shop models. Dutch Bros has been around since 1992, when it was founded by two brothers in Oregon who began the venture with a pushcart selling espresso. Today, Dutch Bros has more than 1,000 locations across the U.S., but management wants to have 7,000 locations eventually.

Dutch Bros had a pretty great start to the year in the first quarter of 2025, exceeding both revenue and earnings expectations that analysts had put forward. The company reported revenue of $355.2 million, a 29% increase year over year, and net income of $22.5 million, a whopping 39% jump from one year ago.

The company also opened 30 new shops across 11 U.S. states in Q1. Systemwide same-shop sales grew by 4.7%, while company-operated same-shop sales increased by 6.9%. Dutch Bros is actively opening new locations, particularly in the U.S. Southeast, and this is actively contributing to revenue growth.

The company only fully launched mobile order capabilities for its locations in 2024, but its customers are rapidly joining its platform as these newer endeavors continue to propel meaningful sales growth. For investors who want to gain exposure to the restaurant stock space and buy shares of a profitable company in the early stages of growth, Dutch Bros could be worth a second look.

Should you invest $1,000 in Intuitive Surgical right now?

Before you buy stock in Intuitive Surgical, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Intuitive Surgical wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $625,254!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,257!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,036% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 181% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025

Rachel Warren has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool recommends Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Key Points

• Amazon might be a less obvious AI play, but this storied business is making impressive headway in a dynamic industry.

• Marvell Technology is reaping the rewards of its market-leading data center solutions.

• 10 stocks we like better than Amazon ›

If your nest egg is shored up and you have cash to spare that you don't require for bills or other near-term financial needs, you might consider investing that in the stock market. Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks aren't for everyone, but businesses with a habit of delivering growth to investors through both economic turbulence and calm can drive your portfolio forward in the long run.

It's important to carefully study any stock, AI play or otherwise, before you add it to your portfolio, and ensure its business model aligns with your financial goals as well as risk tolerance. On that note, here are two top AI stocks to consider right now that offer more than just hype.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Amazon

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is an AI stock that still makes most of its revenue from its online stores and third-party seller services, but the vast majority of its operating profits comes from its cloud computing business, Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company's extensive use of AI across its various businesses and its significant investments in AI infrastructure and development (management is forecasting $100 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 alone) make it an intriguing choice to consider in this rapidly evolving industry.

Amazon uses AI for everything from personalizing shopping experiences on its flagship marketplace to optimizing product listings and seller performance. Amazon is also using AI to do things like allocate inventory, predict demand, and streamline delivery operations for its e-commerce business. It is even leveraging AI-powered robots in some of its fulfillment centers to automate tasks like picking, packing, and sorting products.

Of course, AWS is the side of the business most investors think of when discussing Amazon's advancements in the world of AI. AWS provides the computing power, storage, and tools that enable businesses to build and deploy AI applications.

The company developed its own custom chips, Trainium and Inferentia, which can offer cost-optimal alternatives to traditional GPUs. AWS also now features a wide range of AI and machine learning services for customers, including machine learning models, natural language processing, and computer vision.

Amazon's net sales increased by 9% to $155.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Net income increased by more than 64% to $17.1 billion. The AWS division alone clocked a 17% year-over-year increase in sales to $29.3 billion in Q1. Even as factors like tariffs could weigh on the e-commerce side of the business, Amazon's continued AI expansions and its more asset-light operations like AWS can continue to be the tide that lifts all boats.

2. Marvell Technology

Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a fabless semiconductor company that designs and sells data infrastructure solutions. The company's focus is on enabling technologies like AI, cloud computing, 5G, and high-performance networking. Marvell's products include chips for data centers, enterprise networking, and automotive applications.

Marvell's Ethernet and custom silicon solutions are used by major data centers, making them a key supplier to hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft's Azure, and Alphabet's Google Cloud. The company is experiencing strong growth in this area due to the increasing demand for AI-driven computing and cloud networking. Marvell also specializes in creating custom chips tailored for specific AI workloads.

A significant portion of Marvell's revenue comes from data center solutions, including the AI-focused custom chips and infrastructure components. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, Marvell achieved record revenue just shy of $2 billion, a 63% year-over-year increase. Its data center segment is the single largest driver of Marvell's total revenue, and delivered revenue of $1.5 billion in the first quarter, up 76% from one year ago.

Marvell also reported net income of $178 million in the quarter, compared to a loss of $216 million one year ago. Cash flow from operations for the three-month period totaled $332.9 million. Marvell has numerous collaborations with cloud giants, including a multiyear agreement with AWS.

The company also just announced a new long-term partnership with Rebellions Inc., a South Korean AI semiconductor company, to develop custom AI infrastructure solutions for sovereign-backed initiatives and regional cloud providers across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Investors with a long-term buy-and-hold horizon who want to put cash into the AI infrastructure sector may want to take a second look at this top stock.

Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now?

Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $625,254!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,090,257!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,036% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 181% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025

Rachel Warren has positions in Alphabet and Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Marvell Technology and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.