The Best Stocks to Buy Right Now When Markets Are Climbing

The U.S. stock market is on a remarkable winning streak, having posted a 94% gain since October 2022. With major financial institutions forecasting continued gains—Deutsche Bank targeting 8,000 on the S&P 500 and Goldman Sachs expecting a 12% rally this year—now appears to be an opportune moment for individual investors to put their available capital to work. For those with $1,000 in disposable funds after meeting financial obligations and building emergency reserves, strategic allocation across the best stocks to buy right now could amplify wealth creation in 2026 and beyond.

Quantum Computing: Tapping Into Disruptive Growth Potential

Among the best stocks to buy right now, IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) stands out as a compelling play on quantum computing, a technology still in its infancy but poised for explosive expansion. Market research firm McKinsey forecasts the quantum computing sector could swell from $4 billion in 2024 to a staggering $72 billion by 2035.

IonQ’s business model—designing and manufacturing quantum computers while delivering quantum computing services through leading cloud providers—positions it to capture meaningful value from this anticipated boom. The company demonstrated its execution capability throughout 2025, with revenues more than doubling year-over-year to reach $68 million, and Q3 alone showing a remarkable 222% growth surge. Even more impressive, IonQ achieved a world record 99.99% two-qubit gate performance last year, a critical accuracy metric that suggests its quantum systems are approaching near-error-free operation.

This technical breakthrough translates to real commercial advantages. IonQ claims its cost per system runs 30 times lower than competing offerings, providing a meaningful pathway to mainstream adoption. While the stock carries a premium valuation at 158 times sales and exhibits volatility typical of frontier-technology plays, allocating a portion of your $1,000 portfolio to this best stocks opportunity could generate substantial long-term returns as quantum computing matures from laboratory curiosity to industrial necessity.

AI Infrastructure: Two Exceptional Value Stocks Worth Your Attention

The artificial intelligence boom is generating a powerful tailwind for infrastructure providers. Gartner projects a 41% surge in global AI infrastructure spending to $1.4 trillion in 2026, creating an ideal environment for best stocks in this category.

Celestica (NYSE: CLS) has emerged as a natural beneficiary, providing design, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions to multiple industries. The company’s connectivity and cloud solutions division is capturing significant revenue from the frenzied spending on AI infrastructure. Specifically, Celestica designs and manufactures the networking components that integrate into advanced AI accelerator chips produced by industry leaders like Broadcom, Marvell Technology, AMD, and Intel. Additionally, it engineers rack-scale networking solutions that hyperscalers deploy within their AI data centers. The proof is in the numbers: Celestica’s revenue jumped an estimated 27% in 2025 to $12.2 billion, with forecasts pointing toward accelerating expansion in coming years.

Trading at just 3.2 times sales, Celestica represents one of the best stocks to buy right now—offering growth at a fraction of the typical valuation premium.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), another top contender among best stocks for 2026, provides even more compelling value metrics. The memory chip manufacturer trades at under 10 times sales and carries a forward earnings multiple of just 11, despite extraordinary growth. Earnings could quadruple in its current fiscal year on the back of a 100% sales increase, a trajectory few mature companies achieve.

The engine powering Micron’s surge is sustainable: a persistent shortage of memory chips needed for AI data centers, smartphones, computers, and other applications. As demand continues outpacing supply and memory prices remain elevated, this dynamic should persist through 2028. While manufacturers are adding production capacity, the inevitable lag time required to bring new facilities online means memory pricing pressures should remain supportive. This makes Micron an especially compelling choice for those seeking best stocks with both growth and reasonable valuation, particularly given its 12-month track record and favorable structural market dynamics.

Your Next Move: Building Your $1,000 Investment Plan

When evaluating the best stocks to buy right now from this trio, consider your risk tolerance. IonQ demands conviction in quantum computing’s long-term potential and tolerance for near-term volatility—but has delivered outsized returns for patient investors. Celestica and Micron offer faster visibility into profit growth with significantly more moderate valuation multiples, making them suitable for those seeking near-to-medium-term appreciation without extreme risk.

Historical perspective supports a forward-looking stance. Investors who recognized Netflix as a best stocks opportunity on December 17, 2004, turned a $1,000 investment into $460,340. Those who saw Nvidia’s potential on April 15, 2005, parlayed the same $1,000 into $1,123,789. While past results don’t guarantee future performance, these cases illustrate the wealth-creating potential of identifying best stocks early and maintaining conviction through market cycles.

The Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor service, which has delivered a 937% average return versus 194% for the broader market since inception, continues identifying emerging opportunities. Your task as an investor is to decide which of these best stocks aligns with your time horizon, risk profile, and conviction level—then act with discipline and patience.