Where to Put $10,000: Three Top-Tier Stocks Worth Buying in 2026

The stock market may be trading near record levels, but savvy investors know this is precisely when the best opportunities emerge. If you’re sitting on $10,000 and wondering where the smartest money should go in 2026, I’d like to walk you through three exceptional companies representing entirely different investment angles. Each of these names offers compelling reasons to allocate capital right now, from explosive growth catalysts to rare valuation discounts that don’t come around often.

Nvidia: The AI Powerhouse Built to Dominate

When it comes to capitalizing on artificial intelligence’s expansion, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) stands at the epicenter. As the world’s most valuable company, it’s earned that position through its dominant graphics processing units that have become essential infrastructure for AI workloads globally. The company’s GPUs power everything from generative AI model training to deployment, a competitive moat that continues to widen.

What makes Nvidia particularly compelling as an investment right now is the pipeline ahead. Wall Street is projecting another exceptional year, with fiscal 2027 expecting roughly 50% revenue growth. That kind of expansion is extraordinary for any company, let alone one of this scale. Several factors are fueling this trajectory: continued aggressive spending from major AI data center operators, the roll-out of Nvidia’s new Rubin architecture, and sustained demand from enterprises racing to implement AI capabilities. For investors seeking exposure to the AI megatrend, Nvidia remains the most direct play available.

MercadoLibre: Latin America’s E-Commerce and Fintech Dual Engine

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) represents a different breed of growth opportunity. While not as household-name as Nvidia, this company has built something remarkable in Latin America—think of it as the region’s version of Amazon, but with a crucial twist. Beyond e-commerce, MercadoLibre constructed its own fintech infrastructure from the ground up, giving it dominance in two separate growth sectors that the U.S. market explored over decades.

What makes MercadoLibre particularly attractive right now is the price. The stock has pulled back nearly 20% from all-time highs—a rare opportunity to enter a best-in-class operator at a discount. MercadoLibre has demonstrated consistent outperformance over multiple years, and historical sell-offs have proven temporary. For investors willing to take a longer view, this company offers exposure to two proven growth narratives: digital commerce expansion and emerging market fintech penetration, both playing out simultaneously.

The Trade Desk: The Underappreciated Ad-Tech Recovery Play

The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) rounds out the trio as the contrarian pick. Unlike the other two names, this company has stumbled recently. Its AI-powered advertising platform had a rocky rollout, spooking investors and causing growth to decelerate. Q3 2025 saw the company record just 18% growth—historically low by its standards—and some questioned whether the worst was here to stay.

However, there’s more to this story than the headlines suggest. A critical detail changed year-over-year comparisons: Q3 2024 benefited from extraordinary political advertising spending, which disappeared in 2025. This mathematical comparison distorts The Trade Desk’s underlying momentum. More importantly, the company retained 95% of its customer base across Q3, continuing an 11-year streak of negligible customer defection.

Value investors should take note: The Trade Desk trades at just 18 times forward earnings. Compare that to the S&P 500’s 22.4 times forward earnings multiple. You’re looking at a company growing faster than the broad market while trading at a meaningful discount. The 2026 outlook suggests The Trade Desk will rebound sharply once investors reset expectations. At current prices, the risk-reward profile is compelling.

The Takeaway: Three Different Paths to Strong Returns

Each of these three companies offers a distinct investment thesis suitable for different market conditions in 2026. Nvidia captures the AI infrastructure boom, MercadoLibre provides emerging market growth at an attractive entry point, and The Trade Desk offers deep value with strong fundamental recovery potential. Together, they represent genuinely excellent places to put $10,000 to work right now.