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'As open as it has ever been' - is this the tightest Premier League?Investors who have tilted their portfolios much more heavily toward over the past two decades have undoubtedly outperformed those who have stuck with value-first investing strategies over this time frame. Indeed, given that our economy is now very tech-heavy, companies that continue to drive considerable growth tend to operate in this sector. That said, for investors seeking sustainable long-term growth, I’ve got two picks (one tech-related company and one from a completely different sector) that I think are worth looking at. Here’s why I think these two growth stocks may make for great long-term buy-and-hold picks right now. Constellation Software ( ) has grown to become a major contender in the global software market. The Canada-based company has consistently and effectively consolidated the fragmented software space, seeing incredible capital appreciation over the years (see the chart below) as Constellation acquires and integrates a range of vertical market software firms into its portfolio. The specific companies Constellation acquires span a range of sectors, including healthcare, real estate and retail. However, the commonality among these companies is that they’re often firms with under-appreciated technologies or trading at valuations the Constellation merger and acquisition (M&A) team thinks are attractive, given the value-add the company can provide to its various deals. Over the long term, Constellation Software has continued to provide market-beating growth due to this strategy, growing revenues by an average compounded annual rate of around 30% per year since inception. That’s the kind of growth rate that may become more difficult to clear, given Constellation’s size (now trading at a market capitalization of more than $95 billion). However, given the company’s track record and prior consistency, I think this is a tech giant that can certainly continue to grow at this rate, given the sheer size of the immense opportunities that can be found within the tech sector right now. Boyd Group Services ( ) is about as far from a tech stock as one can get. The company operates a range of auto body repair shops across North America under the Boyd Autobody & Glass and Gerber Collision & Glass banners. What’s interesting is that, like Constellation Software, Boyd has continued to provide very impressive growth over the long term, following a similar growth-via-acquisition strategy. Like the software industry, the auto body business is very fragmented, with plenty of smaller family-run chains looking to sell, as the baby boomers who started these businesses have difficulty prompting their kids to continue running the businesses or find other sellers. This means there’s a significant opportunity for companies like Boyd to take advantage of market dislocations in particular markets where Boyd is really the only game in town. This has allowed the company significant pricing power in certain markets as the company looks to corner the market in key regions and become the go-to place for automobile owners to service their vehicles. Additionally, with the average age of vehicles on North American roads continuing to get older, Boyd is a company that may benefit from increased maintenance spending and more significant repair jobs for vehicles that require service to stay roadworthy. Over time, I think Boyd is a company with plenty of potential to grow both organically and via acquisition. This recent dip looks like a buying opportunity to me, at least for investors with a relatively long-term investing time horizon.

The S&P 500 had another solid run in 2024, up 25% year to date at the time of this writing. However, there are solid businesses selling at reasonable valuations relative to their long-term growth prospects that could deliver good returns in 2025 and for years to come. Here's why three Fool.com contributors believe Walmart ( WMT -1.22% ) , Nike ( NKE -0.68% ) , and Dollar General ( DG 0.34% ) are timely buys heading into the new year. Racing higher with e-commerce Jennifer Saibil (Walmart): It's been a great year for retail giant Walmart, and it's likely to get even better in 2025. Despite its ubiquitous presence, it's opening new stores, even in the U.S., and it's becoming more efficient. In a new and exciting trend, e-commerce has become a major growth driver, and there are several reasons that is likely to contribute to a booming business in 2025. One of the advantages of having a business as healthy as Walmart is that it can take its time with innovation. It has a strong, working physical retail model that has little competition. It was slow to enter e-commerce, and Amazon ran circles around it before it eventually got on board. But it has a steady e-commerce business now, and even though it's way behind Amazon, it's still in second place. It also has advantages in its omnichannel platform that even Amazon can't match. In the 2025 fiscal third quarter (ended Oct. 31), sales rose 5.5% driven by a 27% increase in e-commerce sales. But e-commerce doesn't just mean buying online; it includes services like in-store pickup, which Amazon can't meet. Walmart has 4,600 stores in the U.S., an unmatched distribution network that can get products to customers with quick and efficient delivery or have products available on site. There are always going to be shoppers who prefer to see products before they buy or prefer to pick them up in an hour instead of waiting a day or two (or more). Walmart is also benefiting from the wider variety of products it can showcase on its website that it wouldn't be able to fit in a physical store. That's bringing in a wider variety of customers as well, including more affluent ones who wouldn't necessarily go to their local Walmart for certain products. Walmart is trying to attract a more affluent clientele, and it recently introduced a new branded-food line with healthier, premium ingredients geared toward this market. Walmart stock is up 73% in 2024. It's well-positioned with robust growth drivers going into 2025. But more than that, it's a solid, dividend-paying stock that investors can count on for the long haul. Shares of this iconic sportswear brand are 50% off John Ballard (Nike): Nike has a long history of delivering solid returns for investors and returning a portion of its earnings to shareholders in dividend payments . However, the recent decline in sales has sent the stock down 57% from its previous peak three years ago. Nike is in the process of shifting its inventory to be less reliant on classic footwear styles, which seems to be the culprit for revenue misses during the past year amid higher inflation and weak consumer spending. Revenue declined 8% year over year in fiscal Q2 (ended Nov. 30) and is expected to be under pressure for the next few quarters. As Nike shifts its product portfolio to focus more on sports products, investors should see improving sales. The company is building momentum in sports, with men's and women's running products returning to growth last quarter. Nike also reported strong demand for Kobe basketball shoes, while also seeing strong growth overall in kids' apparel and sportswear. The stock doesn't look cheap on the basis of earnings. The shares are currently trading at 35 times expected earnings for fiscal 2025 ending in May. But that's largely due to the lower sales and negative impact on profitability as management makes adjustments to inventory. On a price-to-sales basis, Nike stock is the cheapest it's been in a decade. The high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio reflects investors' expectation for Nike to successfully complete its turnaround strategy and return to growth under Chief Executive Officer Elliott Hill, who previously worked at the company for over 30 years before coming out of retirement. Investors should see solid returns from these lower share prices over the next five years. Primed for a comeback Jeremy Bowman (Dollar General): I'm going to go in a contrarian direction here and predict that Dollar General is going to make a comeback in 2025. Yes, the discount retailer has struggled lately. In fact, the stock is down 71% from its peak in 2022, pressured by inflation, weak consumer spending, and competition from Walmart. But that has set up an attractive buying opportunity. Dollar General stock now trades at a P/E of just 12.5, which compares to Walmart's P/E at 38, and Dollar General still retains the competitive advantages that have made the company a success for most of its history. It has more than 20,000 stores across the country, meaning it has a location within five miles of 75% of the U.S. population, and it's leveraging that position with a new same-day delivery test, in addition to a partnership with DoorDash that covers 16,000 stores. Dollar General is also making other nuts-and-bolts improvements to the business under its "Back to Basics" strategy, which includes a focus on reducing out-of-stocks and ensuring that the checkout areas are appropriately staffed. It's also worked to streamline its supply chain, opening new distribution centers and closing outside storage facilities. Additionally, the pain of high inflation is starting to recede, and falling interest rates should benefit both consumers and businesses like Dollar General. The retailer's sales have continued to grow, but its major challenges have been in margins , which could easily turn around with improved operations. In addition to the cheap valuation, Dollar General also offers a dividend yield of about 3%. The business should start to recover, and there's a lot of upside in the stock given its 70% slide. Recouping those losses would mean the stock would more than triple from here.A Decade Later, Imperial Metals Faces Consequences for the Mount Polley Disaster

NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading securities law firm Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit for violations of the federal securities laws against ASML Holding N.V. ASML and certain of the Company's senior executives. If you invested in ASML, you are encouraged to obtain additional information by visiting https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . Investors have until January 13, 2025, to ask the Court to be appointed to lead the case. The complaint asserts claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 on behalf of investors in ASML ordinary shares, call options, and/or put options. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and is captioned Matar v. ASML Holding N.V., et al. , No. 24-cv-9908. What is the Lawsuit About? ASML is a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry, providing photolithography machines to chipmakers that are used in the semiconductor fabrication process. The complaint alleges that ASML repeatedly represented to shareholders that new export controls on semiconductor technology announced by the Dutch government would not have a material effect on ASML's financial outlook, and that ASML was on a path to recovery in its sales. On October 15, 2024, ASML announced earnings significantly lower than expectations. The Company attributed this to a market that was "taking longer to recover" and admitted that "[i]t now appears the recovery is more gradual than previously expected." On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 16%, from a closing price of $872.27 per share on October 14, 2024, to $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024. Then, during the accompanying earnings call with investors on October 16, 2024, the Company attributed the poor earnings results to "a reflection of the slow recovery in the traditional [semiconductor] end markets as customers remain cautious in the current environment." The Company also disclosed that the decline in ASML's sales to China would also negatively impact the Company's gross margins. On this news, the price of the Company's stock fell 6.4%, from a closing price of $730.43 per share on October 15, 2024, to $683.52 per share on October 16, 2024. Click here if you suffered losses: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv . What Can You Do? If you invested in ASML you may have legal options and are encouraged to submit your information to the firm. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you. Shareholders are not responsible for any court costs or expenses of litigation. The firm will seek court approval for any potential fees and expenses. Submit your information by visiting: https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Or contact: Ross Shikowitz ross@bfalaw.com 212-789-3619 Why Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP? Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading international law firm representing plaintiffs in securities class actions and shareholder litigation. It was named among the Top 5 plaintiff law firms by ISS SCAS in 2023 and its attorneys have been named Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar by Law360 and SuperLawyers by Thompson Reuters. Among its recent notable successes, BFA recovered over $900 million in value from Tesla, Inc.'s Board of Directors (pending court approval), as well as $420 million from Teva Pharmaceutical Ind. Ltd. For more information about BFA and its attorneys, please visit https://www.bfalaw.com . https://www.bfalaw.com/cases-investigations/asml-holding-nv Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.None

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