John Ballard, The Motley Fool
4 min read
Building wealth in the stock market is straightforward when you focus on buying and holding shares of industry-leading companies with steady growth. And sometimes the market gives investors the chance to buy shares of quality growth stocks at a discount.
Public safety and travel are two expanding markets that could reward patient investors, and Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON) and Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) look best positioned to benefit. Their stocks are trading below their previous highs even as their businesses are seeing strong momentum in 2026.
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Axon Enterprise
Axon Enterprise is increasingly becoming the operating system for law enforcement and public safety. It’s delivering strong revenue growth as it expands into new markets and shifts from selling hardware (like TASER devices) to software-based services. Yet the stock is trading 30% below its previous all-time high, creating an attractive entry point for new investors.
Revenue grew 35% year over year in the second quarter, marking Axon’s 10th straight quarter of 30%-plus growth. The company has been producing numbers like these for years. Its stock is up nearly 2,000% over the past decade, and its current momentum suggests it could once again outperform the major indexes over the next 10 years.
The biggest indicator of the opportunity is the 36% year-over-year increase in software and services revenue. That growth highlights the shift from hardware to higher-margin, recurring services. Demand remains strong for its AI Era Plan, which automates time-consuming tasks such as drafting police reports.
Axon is also gaining traction beyond its core market. International bookings tripled year over year last quarter. Future contracted bookings rose 41% to $15 billion, pointing to a long runway for growth.
Overall, Axon is building an end-to-end platform spanning sensors, devices, and AI-powered software. Its high forward price-to-earnings multiple of 78 signals high expectations, but analysts also project 29% annualized earnings growth in the years ahead. If Axon continues to execute on its broader public safety platform strategy, the stock offers market-beating potential over the next decade.
Airbnb
Travel and tourism have been resilient industries over the last five years, with consumers spending more each year on getaway experiences. Airbnb’s competitive edge is the millions of properties on its platform, a selection that’s difficult for traditional hotel chains to match. The stock is surging after strong second-quarter results, but it still trades about 15% below its previous all-time high.
