To clarify: I am not suggesting you avoid purchasing these stocks unless their prices retreat.
Rather, my point is that if the market happens to drop by 10%—a move that occurs roughly every year or two—these are four top stocks I'd be eager to expand my holdings in.
Both my daughter and I hold shares in these companies, and we increased our stakes in 2025. Lately, though, we've slowed down on buying more, since their performance has been outstanding and they've reached higher valuations.
These four successful stocks seem well-positioned for continued strong results for many years ahead. They are my primary candidates for adding to if prices fall.
1. Shopify
A 2016 study by Bain and Company found that companies in the Fortune 500 run by their founders outperformed others by a factor of three in returns over the prior 15 years. The e-commerce powerhouse Shopify ( SHOP 2.87%) is a textbook case of this trend.
Image source: Shopify.
Tobias Lütke, Shopify's co-founder, continues to serve as CEO and has overseen the company becoming a 57-fold winner since its IPO in 2015.
The primary appeal of founder-led businesses, in my view, is their emphasis on long-term strategies, which aligns closely with The Motley Fool's approach to investing.
This focus on the future has been instrumental for Shopify’s success. The company now claims a 12% share of the U.S. e-commerce market, with more than 875 million unique buyers shopping from millions of Shopify vendors across over 175 countries.
Yet, after Shopify stock has surged fourfold in the past three years, its shares now trade at a price of 106 times free cash flow and 19 times sales, which are both sizable premiums.
While I still consider Shopify the top e-commerce stock available—and the go-to platform for entrepreneurs transforming product ideas into businesses—I’d rather wait for a price drop before purchasing more shares.
With Shopify continuing to weave artificial intelligence (AI) into its merchant offerings, the business could eventually justify its current high valuation, much as it has managed for years already.
2. Wingstop
Unlike Shopify, which remains near record highs, chicken wing chain Wingstop ( WING -0.45%) has seen its share price fall 31% from its all-time high over the last quarter.
This decline followed a 2% drop in same-store sales—the company’s first negative result in more than three years. Ultimately, this recent dip was likely triggered by Wingstop’s shares nearly doubling between April and June, rather than any deterioration in its long-term prospects.
Even after this pullback, Wingstop is still valued at 66 times forward earnings, so it’s not exactly a bargain. Still, the company stands out among fast-casual restaurant operators, as shown by Wingstop’s 12x return for investors since its 2015 IPO.
Wingstop increased its number of restaurants by 20% last quarter and aims to roughly quadruple its locations to 10,000 in the long term. With around 2,000 stores already cleared in its pipeline, there’s plenty of room for growth.
What’s even more impressive is that Wingstop has posted same-store sales growth for 21 straight years, proving it can grow beyond simply opening new stores.
3. Coupang
Our second founder-run company today is South Korea’s e-commerce leader Coupang ( CPNG -0.25%), led by CEO Bom Kim.
After its IPO during the 2021 growth-stock boom, Coupang’s shares plunged from close to $50 to under $10 by 2022 as the initial excitement faded.
Since hitting those lows, Coupang’s stock has climbed four times higher, and the company now counts 24 million active users—almost half of South Korea's 52 million people.
Despite its substantial reach in South Korea, Coupang’s expansion story is just beginning. The company is pursuing new opportunities in Taiwan, advertising, luxury goods via Farfetch, and developing its own Coupang Intelligence Cloud—an ambitious project reminiscent of Amazon Web Services. So there’s still significant growth potential ahead.
However, with the stock at a four-year high and trading at 33 times operating cash flow, investors may want to be cautious about going in too heavily at this point.
For now, my approach will be to add to my position gradually and potentially take advantage of any future dips in price.
4. Casey's General Stores
Still primarily based in the Midwest and South, Casey's General Stores ( CASY -2.09%) has quietly risen to become the fifth-largest pizza chain in the U.S. by number of kitchens.
Headquartered in Iowa, the convenience store chain expanded for years by focusing on smaller towns, where its pizza operations often made it a crucial part of the local dining scene.
Today, Casey’s is accelerating its growth by pushing into southern and eastern markets, and most notably, into more densely populated areas. While this marks a shift from its past approach, the strategy is clearly working, as seen in its long-term returns.
CASY Total Return Level data by YCharts.
The recent growth has benefited my daughter's investments, but Casey’s price-to-earnings ratio has increased from 17 in 2023 to 36 now, making its valuation look a bit stretched.
Nonetheless, Casey’s now operates 2,900 stores and boasts 9 million rewards members. The company’s plan to open 500 new locations in 2026 alone has investors optimistic that the business can justify its current price.
