The Best Stocks to Invest $1,000 in Right Now
Key Points
Some companies are sitting on once-in-a-generation growth opportunities right now.
Brookfield Asset Management's earnings and dividends could surge over the next five years.
GE Vernova is entering a growth supercycle, thanks to its niche in the AI data center market.
There's a common myth that you need to invest a fortune to build a fortune from stocks. Even a small investment can go a long way if you know where to start. The question isn't whether you should buy stocks, but which stocks you should buy that could yield life-changing returns over time.
Here are my two best, high-conviction stocks you could buy today with as little as $1,000 and hold to earn big returns.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
A powerful money compounder
Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) is growing at a torrid pace. The alternative asset manager manages assets exceeding $1 trillion, with 95% of its fee revenue tied to long-term capital. That offers incredible visibility into future earnings with minimal redemption risk from the clients it manages money for (large institutions such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds).
2025 was a record year, with Brookfield raising a record $35 billion in funding in just the fourth quarter. Its fee-related earnings surged 22% in the year.
Brookfield expects to double its business over the next five years, driven by the massive tailwinds of the artificial intelligence (AI) data center build-out, digitalization, and energy transition. It recently launched a $100 billion AI infrastructure fund, with Nvidia and the Kuwait Investment Authority joining as investors and founding partners.
Brookfield is also a dividend powerhouse, returning 90% of its distributable earnings to shareholders. It recently raised its dividend payout by 15%. If the company can double its fee-based earnings, dividends should grow significantly, too. Throw in a dividend yield of 3.5%, and Brookfield Asset Management stock could easily deliver double-digit annualized returns for investors who buy the stock today.
This stock is a monster in the making
Shares of GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) surged 98.7% in 2025. If you think the stock is already priced for perfection, you could be in for a huge surprise.
Spun off from the former General Electric, now GE Aerospace, GE Vernova is the world's leading manufacturer of natural gas turbines and is sitting on a generational growth opportunity right now.
The rapid data center build-out poses a major challenge for the industry: a stable power supply to keep the servers and cooling systems running. The surging power demand, however, is putting tremendous pressure on the existing grids, which can take years to upgrade. GE Vernova's turbines are scalable and can be installed quickly on-site, bypassing grid congestion to generate reliable power. That is why demand is booming.
GE Vernova's orders surged 65% and backlog grew by $15 billion sequentially to $150 billion in Q4. Revenue jumped 9% to $38 billion, free cash flows more than doubled, and the company ended 2025 with nearly $9 billion in cash. The company also doubled its dividend recently and boosted its share buyback program to $10 billion.
By the end of 2028, GE Vernova expects to raise its backlog to over $200 billion, and generate $56 million in revenue and over $24 billion in cumulative FCF. That growth should unlock significant value for investors who buy the shares today.
Should you buy stock in GE Vernova right now?
Before you buy stock in GE Vernova, 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 GE Vernova 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 $415,256!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,151,865!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 892% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 21, 2026.
Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Brookfield Asset Management, GE Aerospace, GE Vernova, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Related Articles
Nikkei Index Heading Toward 60,000? Why Is Global Capital Betting on Sanae Takaichi? Will Japan’s Stock Market Continue to Hit New Highs in 2026?
TradingKey - In February 2026, the Tokyo stock market once again became the epicenter of global financial markets. Following a landslide victory by the Sanae Takaichi-led Liberal Democratic Party in the Lower House elections, the Nikkei 225 Index hit consecutive record highs within just a few days, targeting the 60,000-point milestone.
Beyond Gold, What Is the Next Safe-Haven Asset Choice?
TradingKey - Against the backdrop of heightened global market volatility, escalating geopolitical risks, and mixed macroeconomic signals, market safe-haven sentiment continues to intensify. In the face of rising uncertainty, an increasing number of investors are seeking safe havens capable of wealth preservation and risk mitigation.
Will Micron Be the 2026 AI Winner as the Memory Supercycle Begins?
Recently, Micron has focused on premium areas such as High-Bandwidth Memory that plays alongside accelerators to feed AI models, and adding capacity with an eye on pricing discipline.
