Many people focus on their home countries when investing. I think this is a mistake. There are plenty of attractive investments listed in London, but there are also lots of high-qualities businesses listed over the pond.
As such, I own a handful of US equities in my portfolio. These are my three favourite US stocks to buy today.
Stocks to buy for growth
The first company on my list, which I already own and would be happy to buy more of, is Visa (NYSE: V).
The corporation operates one of the world’s main payment networks. It connects buyers and sellers who are using Visa-branded networks and cards. With the number of cashless transactions rising worldwide, the company is one of the primary beneficiaries.
What’s more, as one of the world’s largest payment network operators, Visa’s size is a substantial competitive advantage. It would cost a competitor tens of billions of dollars and many years to take over the firm’s position in the market.
These are the two main reasons I would buy the stock for my portfolio today. However, the firm can’t take its position in the market for granted. Competitors are nipping at its heels. The company needs to stay alert to fend off the competition, or it could fall behind.
Growing market
Sticking with companies that have robust competitive advantages, I would also acquire Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).
The organisation is one of the world’s most prominent designers and producers of high-performance computer processors. The demand for these is exploding as the market for digital services also explodes.
Nivida is reaping the benefits of this market expansion. The company’s net income lept 84% year-on-year in the third quarter. The organisation reinvests virtually all of its income back into processor development.
This spending only helps reinforce the group’s leading position in the market. As long as the firm continues with this strategy, I reckon its growth should also continue.
Challenges it could face going forward include the supply chain crisis and rising input costs, which may increase the costs for consumers.
Market maker
I also think Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is one of the best stocks to buy in the US today. I would acquire the shares because the company has an unrivalled franchise in the US equity markets.
The investment bank is one of the most recognisable brands on Wall Street. It manages the wealth of the rich and famous through its wealth management arm. This brings in a steady stream of recurring income.
At the same time, the group has a leading position in the market for taking companies public. Over the past two years, this division has been a healthy profit centre for the organisation.
Thanks to its position in these two markets, I think Goldman has a definite competitive advantage, although this is a competitive business. Keeping customers happy is one of the main challenges the business faces, or they could move to rivals.
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Rupert Hargreaves owns shares of Visa. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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