It's been a good year for strong growth stocks. Many stocks have had returns of over 100%. However, if you believe that past performance doesn't predict future results, then these names may not be the best strong growth stocks to own in 2026.
A better idea may be to look at the next tier of stocks. These stocks have still delivered growth in 2025. These may have not been the eye-popping gains of a stock like Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR). But they may have a better valuation, and analysts project strong earnings growth in 2026.
These are stocks that you would have been thankful to own in 2025. More importantly, they'll continue to be strong growth stocks in 2026. Whether you're a buy-and-hold investor or a swing trader, you'll be off to a good start in the new year by having a position in these stocks.
Strong Growth Stocks: NVIDIA
NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) has had a good year by any measure. The company has everything that investors want. It shows strong year-over-year growth in revenue, earnings, and margins.
But with NVDA stock "only" up 34.5% in 2025, some investors suggest that the company's best days are behind it. In this analyst’s opinion, their concerns are based on a faulty premise.
As NVIDIA's recent quarter showed, the company has a backlog for quarters to come. Sure, competitors are entering the fray. But that's largely because the pie is getting bigger, not because NVIDIA is losing its share of that pie. It’s still the undisputed leader in the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout that's still in its infancy.
Analysts forecast 46% earnings growth in the next 12 months, which goes a long way to dispelling any concerns about the company's forward P/E ratio of around 64x.
That's why NVDA stock is one stock to be thankful to own now and into the future.
Strong Growth Stocks : Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) is up more than 42% in 2025 as the company has vaulted into the lead in the weight loss drug market. The company has committed over $50 billion into its global manufacturing footprint to ensure it maintains the lead in this critical market.
But there's more to the LLY stock story to keep it in this category of strong growth stocks for years to come. The company's oral version of its GLP-1 drug just moved out of Phase 3 trials. This will be a game-changer that will allow the company to press its advantage in this market. Lilly also has a deep pipeline that includes many oncology drugs that will likely become available in the next few years.
Analysts are forecasting 32% earnings growth in the next 12 months. And despite the fact that it trades for over $1,100 per share as of November 26, several analysts believe it can run much higher. In fact, on November 24, analysts from Bernstein gave LLY stock a $1,300 price target.
Strong Growth Stocks: Freeport-McMoRan
Gold has been one of the best-performing asset classes in 2025. That's one reason to consider a mining stock like Freeport-McMoran Inc. (NYSE: FCX). A better one, however, is the expected growth in copper.
Demand for copper is a narrative that's been delayed, but it still exists. Copper will be needed to build the AI infrastructure. And that's not to mention its utility in electric vehicles and the updating of our aging electric grid.
Freeport-McMoRan is one of the leading copper miners in the world. FCX stock is only up about 11% in 2025, and analysts are only forecasting about 10% upside. That wouldn't seem to qualify as strong growth. However, it's just as likely that analysts aren't accounting for the potential explosive leap in copper prices.
Conclusion
NVIDIA, Eli Lilly, and Freeport-McMoRan are three strong growth stocks for 2026. But there could be several more names that can be added to the list.
For this list, I used a stock screener to identify stocks that were expected to grow earnings by at least 20% over the next 12 months. Earnings growth is one of the most accurate predictors of future stock price performance.
It’s a good reminder to investors that you need to have your own signals that help you filter out the noise that exists during volatile times.
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