Three Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right Now: Top Investment Picks for 2026

If you’ve got $1,000 to invest today, you’re in a solid position to either kickstart a diversified portfolio or strengthen an existing one. The market has its challenges, but savvy investors know that exceptional companies trading at reasonable valuations still exist. Here are three best stocks to buy that deserve a spot in your consideration: Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), and Lemonade (NYSE: LMND).

Nu Holdings: Digital Banking Revolution in Latin America

Nu Holdings stands out as a rapid-growth digital bank with headquarters in Brazil, and it’s fundamentally reshaping how people in Latin America handle their finances. The company has demonstrated remarkably consistent execution over recent years, with a customer base that continues to expand at an impressive pace.

While Brazil remains its core market with roughly 110 million users out of a total 127 million base, the company’s expansion into Mexico and Colombia is accelerating at an extraordinary rate. These cash-heavy markets present fertile ground for fintech disruption, and Nu is seizing the opportunity. In the most recent quarter, Nu added 4.3 million customers—a 16% year-over-year increase—while maintaining profitability that funds its aggressive expansion strategy.

Beyond user acquisition, the real wealth-building potential lies in monetization. The company continues to increase its average revenue per active user, which reached $13 in the recent quarter compared to $11 the previous year. For long-term customers, this figure jumps to $27—still well below the $43 that traditional banks generate per user. This gap represents the enormous upside potential as Nu deepens its product offerings and customer relationships.

Valuation-wise, Nu trades at a 33 P/E multiple, which appears reasonable for a company growing this rapidly with such extensive market opportunities ahead.

Taiwan Semiconductor: Powering the AI Boom and Beyond

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing sits at the epicenter of global tech innovation, fabricating the chips that power virtually every major technology company you know. Its partnerships with industry giants like Nvidia and Amazon span everything from consumer electronics to autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The company’s recent performance underscores its dominant market position. In the latest quarter, revenue surged 26% year-over-year to $34 billion, while gross margins expanded from 60% to 62% and operating margins widened from 51% to 54%. High-performance computing, which includes AI applications, now accounts for 55% of total revenue and grew an impressive 58%, while smartphone fabrication contributed 33% with 11% growth.

Taiwan Semiconductor’s strategic pivot to the United States represents a crucial long-term advantage. The company is on track to open 12 new manufacturing plants in Arizona, reducing dependency on Taiwan-based production and lowering exposure to U.S. tariff risks. This geographic diversification protects the company’s global supply chain while positioning it favorably for government incentives and customer preferences.

Trading at 31 times trailing sales, this industrial powerhouse offers compelling value for investors seeking exposure to the semiconductor industry’s secular growth trends.

Lemonade: Insurance Disruption Hitting Profitability

Lemonade represents the future of insurance—built from the ground up with artificial intelligence and machine learning at its core. The company’s entire operational model, from customer onboarding to claims processing, runs through chatbots, creating a fundamentally superior customer experience compared to legacy insurers hamstrung by outdated systems.

The results speak for themselves. Lemonade’s loss ratio, which measures the percentage of premiums paid out in claims, dropped a full 10 percentage points year-over-year on a trailing-12-month basis. In-force premium—the standard revenue metric for insurers—jumped 30% quarter-over-quarter, while the company narrowed its adjusted EBITDA loss from $49 million to $26 million. Management has guided toward achieving adjusted EBITDA breakeven in the current year, marking the transition toward sustainable profitability.

At a price-to-sales ratio near 11, Lemonade isn’t trading on a bargain basement valuation. However, for investors with a multi-year horizon, the company’s path to consistent profitability combined with its AI-powered competitive advantages positions it as a genuinely compelling investment opportunity.

Building Your $1,000 Investment Strategy

These three stocks to buy represent different angles on transformative market trends: fintech disruption, semiconductor leadership in the AI era, and insurance technology innovation. Whether you’re allocating your full $1,000 across all three or building positions gradually, each offers distinct growth catalysts and market advantages. The key is recognizing that the best stocks to buy today are those with sustainable competitive advantages, clear paths to profitability, and exposure to enduring secular trends. Start your investment journey with conviction in quality companies, and let time compound your returns.