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2 Brilliant Growth Stocks to Buy Now and Hold for the Long Term

Motley Fool - Fri Feb 13, 3:10PM CST

Key Points

As the S&P 500 hovers near its all-time highs, it might seem like a bad time to buy growth stocks. But if we look past the market darlings, we'll notice there are plenty of high-growth companies trading at surprisingly low valuations. Let's check out two of them -- SoFi(NASDAQ: SOFI) and Adyen(OTC: ADYEY) -- and see why they're worth buying.

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SoFi

SoFi aims to become a "one-stop shop" for online financial services. It initially offered only student loans, but subsequently launched auto loans, mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, insurance policies, estate planning services, and other banking services. It also provides stock and cryptocurrency trading tools. That all-in-one digital approach attracted many younger Millennial and Gen Z customers, and it grew much faster than conventional banks.

SoFi also acquired the payment processing company Galileo in 2020, launched its own direct bank in 2022 upon obtaining a U.S. bank charter, and continues to roll out new services. Its core member base expanded from 2.5 million at the end of 2021 to 13.7 million at the end of 2025. Galileo, which operates independently, hosts nearly 160 million accounts.

From 2025 to 2027, analysts expect SoFi's revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to grow at CAGRs of 24% and 40%, respectively. With an enterprise value of $21.5 billion, it trades at just 14 times this year's adjusted EBITDA -- and it could attract a stampede of bulls as it continues growing.

Adyen

Adyen is a Dutch fintech company that integrates its backend payments software into a merchant's existing online, mobile, and in-store payment platforms. Once those tools are integrated, its merchants can accept over 250 payment methods -- including credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets, and other payment apps. It's built on open-source software, easily customizable, and doesn't lock its merchants into a walled garden like other fintech companies.

That flexibility helped Adyen pull eBay(NASDAQ: EBAY) away from PayPal(NASDAQ: PYPL) several years ago, and it's still growing like a weed. From 2025 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue and adjusted EBITDA to grow at CAGRs of 21% and 24%, respectively.

With an enterprise value of 20.2 billion euros ($24 billion), Adyen still looks like a bargain at 13 times this year's adjusted EBITDA. So if you're looking for an under-the-radar fintech play with plenty of upside, Adyen checks all the right boxes.

Should you buy stock in SoFi Technologies right now?

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Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adyen, PayPal, and eBay. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short March 2026 $65 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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