Investors may feel uncertain about the economy, but that has not stopped consumer spending from growing. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, consumer spending continues to trend higher, rising 0.2% in October. Such data may inspire investors to seek companies that can draw customers in nearly any economy, a level of uncertainty that could bode well for Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Tractor Supply (NASDAQ: TSCO), and Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG).
Take the stock of North America's largest steelmaker, Nucor (NYSE: NUE), for example. The steelmaking process alone isn't the only thing that should be exciting for investors. Believe it or not, returns from this boring steel stock have clobbered those from technology juggernaut Amazon over the past three- and five-year periods.
The linchpins of your portfolio's growth will most likely be companies leading their respective markets -- markets with inevitable long-term growth.