Could buying these growth stocks today be like buying Amazon or Apple 10 years ago?

If someone’s looking for growth stocks with tons of potential, the cybersecurity sector could be a good place to start, says Edward Sheldon.

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Buying growth stocks and holding them for the long term can pay off in a big way. Just look at the long-term returns generated by Amazon and Apple – over the last decade these shares are up around 930% and 620%, respectively.

Here, I’m going to highlight two US-listed growth stocks that I believe have a ton of potential and are worth considering today. Over the next 10 years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these stocks deliver the same kind of returns as Amazon and Apple have over the last decade.

This industry is forecast to grow 10-fold

One industry I’m really bullish on today is cybersecurity. In today’s digital world, no company or government organisation can afford to ignore it.

Over the next decade, the industry is expected to grow significantly as organisations move to protect themselves against digital threats. According to McKinsey, it could be a $2trn industry in the not-too-distant future (around 10 times its current size).

An industry leader

Now, one stock in this industry I’m really excited about is CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD). It serves companies worldwide and is growing at a rapid pace (revenue growth of 21% is expected this financial year) thanks to the effectiveness of its cloud-native Falcon platform.

This stock has had a great run in recent years. But the company’s market cap is still relatively small at around $86bn. To put that figure in perspective, Amazon currently has a market cap of $2trn. So, there’s plenty of room for growth here, in my view.

It’s worth pointing out that CrowdStrike has plenty of competition. Recently, Palo Alto Networks has been enhancing its cybersecurity offering to compete with the company.

And that’s not the only risk for investors. Another is weakness in the high-growth area of the stock market (the stock has fallen recently as sentiment towards growth stocks has cooled).

Taking a long-term view, however, I’m really excited about the potential here. I’ve been buying the stock for my own portfolio recently while it has been trading under $350.

Growing fast

Another cybersecurity company that I believe has bags of potential and is worth considering is Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS). It also offers a cloud-based platform and is growing at a breakneck speed (revenue growth of 22% is expected for the current financial year).

This company has had a lot of success in recent years. Today, it serves over 7,500 customers, including 30% of the Forbes Global 2000.

But it’s still pretty small. Currently, it has a market cap of just $30bn, meaning that it’s less than a hundredth of the size of Apple (which has a market cap of $3.3trn today).

Looking ahead, I think Zscaler could get significantly bigger as it wins more customers and sells extra services to existing ones. But as with CrowdStrike, the company is facing plenty of competition so there are no guarantees it will have success.

I’m bullish

I’m convinced, however, that cybersecurity is an industry with massive potential. And I’m clearly not the only one with this view.

Just recently, Google-owner Alphabet announced the acquisition of cybersecurity business Wiz for $32bn. This suggests that the Big Tech company sees cybersecurity as a major source of growth.

Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Edward Sheldon has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and CrowdStrike. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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