2 Stocks to Buy for the Next 5 Years

Updated

Here at the Fool, it's no secret we encourage investors to look for stocks to buy for the long term.

In fact, that's why we recommend investors avoid putting any money they'll need in the next five years in the stock market. That's also why I've placed much of my attention on finding stocks to buy and hold anywhere from 10 to even 50 years from now.

Of course, I know a lot can happen in 10 years, and 50 years probably seems more like an eternity for most folks. So what about finding stocks to buy with the intention of hanging on at least until that five-year threshold?


Rest assured, I've got you covered. Below are two such stocks I believe possess massive upside potential for the next half-decade.

Your secret sauce for profitable growth
First up, consider spicing up your portfolio with shares of Buffalo Wild Wings . Though B-Wild is currently trading near its 52-week-high on the heels of another successful March Madness ad campaign, there are a number of reasons to believe that the beer and wings specialist should be able to continue its winning streak for the foreseeable future.

Stocks to Buy BWLD
Stocks to Buy BWLD

Source: Buffalo Wild Wings.

For one, as I noted after its most recent "disappointing" fourth-quarter results, the company's 37.8% year-over-year revenue growth shows its customers are still willing to pay for its wares even despite select price increases aimed to offset the company's higher wing costs.

What's more, B-Wild generates plenty of cash flow from operations and had around $31 million in cash with no debt on its balance sheet at the end of last quarter. As a result, the company should have little trouble financing its plans to open at least 105 new locations by the end of 2013. When all's said and done, Buffallo Wild Wings eventually expects to increase its restaurant count from 900 today to around 1,700 in the U.S., making it a great stock to buy now for investors who are looking for plenty of profitable growth going forward.

Long-term gains on display
Next, feast your eyes at organic LED technologist Universal Display , which boasts a treasure trove of more than 2,200 OLED-related patents. For their part, these patents all but ensure Universal Display can profit no matter who uses its OLED technology in their products.

So far, consumers have gobbled up millions of Samsung's Galaxy smartphones with vibrant OLED screens enabled by Universal Display's tech. What's more, Samsung also recently branded its YOUM line of flexible OLED displays, and demonstrated a number of prototype devices at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, including new flexible smartphones and a curved 55" OLED TV.

Stocks to Buy PANL
Stocks to Buy PANL

Samsung flexible OLED television. Image source: Samsung

Of course, it remains to be seen whether consumers will care about having an expensive, slightly curved television in their living rooms for now, and Samsung has only just begun ramping up the production of its traditional 55" OLED televisions.

Even so, this curved OLED TV shows Samsung has its mind on bigger and better things, and it's a safe bet the technology will only grow more compelling as economies of scale kick in and given the opportunity OLED affords electronics makers to build screens that are not only flexible but also transparent and nearly indestructible.

As I pointed out in February, while Samsung accounted for 68% of UDC's total sales last year, investors can soon expect Universal Display's reliance on the Korean conglomerate to decrease over time as other large customers including LG, Sony and Panasonic have finally started aggressively developing their own OLED-based products on a wider scale.

As of right now, however, shares of Universal Display admittedly look expensive, trading hands at more than 150 times trailing earnings. That said, considering the fact it currently trades for less than 21 times forward earnings based on analysts' five-year growth estimates, it becomes easy to see why Universal Display remains one of my favorite stocks to buy.

Its placement at the center of OLEDs makes the company an underappreciated way to play the enormous sales growth in tablets and smartphones. However, like any new technology, there are plenty of risks to Universal Display. Motley Fool analyst Evan Niu, CFA, has authored a new premium report that dives into reasons to buy the company as well as the challenges facing it. For access to this comprehensive report, simply click here now.

The article 2 Stocks to Buy for the Next 5 Years originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Steve Symington owns shares of Universal Display. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Buffalo Wild Wings and Universal Display. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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