All the talk right now is about interest rates, a potential recession and whether we’re still in a bear market. For young investors, they need to think about long-term investments, not about the next few quarters. There are so many stocks for 30-year-olds to consider, so narrowing down just a couple of names is not an easy task.
For instance, long-term investments for young investors would have included buying Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) or Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Simply put, the best stocks for millennials are the ones that belong to companies with strong brands, steady growth and great leadership. Culture plays an important role, as does innovation and stability.
We need to find names that have a way of producing solid results even as the years roll by, and management teams continue to change. Great brands can do this and they have the solid foundation of a great business to aid in the various transitions throughout the years.
With that in mind, let’s look at a few favorite stocks for 30-year-olds right now.
Starbucks (SBUX)
At one point, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) was being left for dead. To me, that was investors pricing in a recession even though there was clear demand for Starbucks during the Covid-19 shutdowns.
Even amid a global pandemic, customers were still filling up the drive-thru lines. The reality is that consumers absolutely love this brand. They loved it when Howard Schultz was CEO and they loved it when Kevin Johnson was at the helm. It seems likely that they’ll love it with Laxman Narasimhan serving as CEO.
Millennials and young investors grew up with Starbucks being a popular destination and it still remains a popular destination among teens.
The stock has been under a bit of pressure lately. Despite reporting better-than-expected quarterly results, management’s tone regarding China was cautious. Wall Street didn’t like that, but for long-term investors, that’s a perfect opportunity.
Consensus expectations still call for double-digit growth this year and next year, along with roughly 15% earnings growth in 2023 and almost 20% growth in 2024.
Nike (NKE)
Nike (NYSE:NKE) is a name many investors (young and old) have had in their lives since childhood. For those that played sports and were or are into sports, Nike is a household name. It’s one of the perfect stocks for 30-year-olds when you realize where Nike stands in the sports market.
You can’t go to a sporting event without the iconic “swoosh” being seen on the players, on the fans and elsewhere.
The stock is not the cheapest out there, trading at 34 times this year’s earnings. Part of that high valuation is due to this year’s forecast calling for a 13% slump in earnings.
While that doesn’t sound like much of an endorsement, consider two things:
First, Nike delivered a top- and bottom-line earnings beat last quarter with revenue topping estimates by almost $1 billion. Second, that was the company’s fiscal third quarter, so we’re almost done with this fiscal year. This means we can almost turn the page to next year, where analysts expect earnings to grow 20%. Shares remain more than 35% below the all-time high, so there’s definitely room to the upside, and even more upside beyond the long term.
PayPal (PYPL)
I know PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) is going to catch me some flack, but it’s worth examining — particularly for young investors who can afford a bit of speculation and have plenty of time on their side.
PayPal stock recently hit a multi-year low in late May, suffering a peak-to-trough of more than 80%. That’s crazy, considering that this company is actually profitable and has positive free cash flow.
Millennials know this company well as PayPal has built a strong brand throughout the years. With the stock now struggling for direction, bulls’ mettle is being put to the test.
Analysts expect high-single-digit revenue growth this year and next year along with roughly 20% earnings growth this year and 15% earnings growth next year. Even after the recent rally, shares trade just 13 times earnings.
After such a massive decline, a lot of the risk has been removed for PayPal. For those that have time, PayPal will likely be worthwhile.
On the date of publication, Bret Kenwell held a long position in PYPL. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.