Two Stocks I'm Betting On Right Now

The market’s been on fire lately, with the S&P 500 up 10% this year through early September, hovering near record highs. Sure, there are plenty of storm clouds that could rain on this parade, but I’ve always found that thinking long-term is the smartest play when everyone else is obsessing over next week’s numbers.

Instead of chasing the latest meme stock or panic-selling on every dip, I’m looking at companies positioned to crush the market over the next decade. Two standouts have caught my eye: Garmin and Microsoft.

Garmin’s Impressive Trajectory

Garmin just delivered a knockout quarter that had me genuinely excited. Their sales jumped 20%, driven by their smartwatch lineup that’s clearly resonating with consumers.

What impresses me most is how they’ve achieved double-digit growth across all their divisions - from outdoor adventure watches to aviation equipment. This diversification isn’t just smart business; it demonstrates Garmin’s transferable strengths in R&D and product design.

Unlike many growth companies that sacrifice profits for expansion, Garmin’s operating income surged nearly 30% to $800 million in the first half of 2025, with profit margins climbing to 24%. Management’s confidence is evident in their raised outlook, projecting sales over $7 billion this year.

The valuation looks attractive too - trading at 29 times earnings, down from 32 in January. Compare that to Apple’s 36 P/E ratio with only slightly better profitability, and Garmin starts looking like the better deal.

Microsoft’s Unstoppable Machine

I know what you’re thinking - Microsoft at $3.7 trillion is too big to deliver meaningful returns. I thought the same until I dug into their numbers. Their 15% revenue growth and 16% earnings improvement last year tell a different story.

Investing in Microsoft gives you exposure to multiple tech megatrends - cloud computing and enterprise AI chief among them. Their Azure platform alone generates $75 billion annually and grew 34% last year.

What truly sets Microsoft apart is their cash-generating capability - $136 billion last year, up from $118 billion in 2024. This allowed them to return $42 billion to shareholders while simultaneously pouring money into data centers and innovation.

Yes, Microsoft trades at a premium - around 40 times earnings. Perhaps the AI hype has inflated that somewhat. But unlike many companies merely promising future AI returns, Microsoft is already delivering concrete financial results from enterprise AI adoption.

With multiple growth levers and increasing cash returns likely in coming years, I’m convinced Microsoft can continue outperforming the broader market, despite its massive size.

While no investment is guaranteed, these two companies represent my favorite combination of proven performance and future potential in today’s uncertain market.