The Greatest Shares to Purchase With $500 Proper Now

Shopping for prime firms which can be capitalizing on fast-growing traits and holding them might create wealth for traders in the long term.

That is why in case you have $500 to spare proper now — after paying payments, saving for robust occasions, and clearing high-interest loans — and wish to put that cash to work within the inventory market, it might be a good suggestion to spend money on shares of Ciena (NYSE: CIEN) and Dell Applied sciences (NYSE: DELL), both individually or mixed.

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Let’s have a look at why these two fast-growing firms could possibly be one of the simplest ways to take a position $500 within the inventory market.

Ciena inventory has shot up a exceptional 435% up to now yr. The corporate’s phenomenal surge is pushed by the strong demand for its optical networking elements, that are utilized in synthetic intelligence (AI) knowledge facilities to allow quick connectivity over lengthy distances. Consequently, Ciena is receiving extra orders than it’s fulfilling.

The corporate reported a 33% year-over-year income enhance within the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (which ended on Jan. 31, 2026). Its adjusted earnings shot up by 111% to $1.35 per share, pushed by a positive product combine and cost-cutting efforts. The excellent news for traders is that Ciena is assured it may well maintain its terrific development in fiscal 2026.

It has raised its full-year gross margin steerage by one share level. It now expects a stronger leap of 28% in income this yr to $6.1 billion on the midpoint of its steerage vary, up from the sooner expectation of $5.9 billion. Ciena might simply coast previous its up to date steerage, as its order backlog stood at $7 billion on the finish of the earlier quarter. The backlog elevated by $2 billion in fiscal Q1.

Ciena, due to this fact, has the potential to attain the 132% enhance in earnings that analysts predict from the corporate this yr. Do not be stunned to see this robust development resulting in extra upside on this tech inventory, making it an excellent funding for growth-oriented traders.

AI has confirmed to be a robust catalyst for Dell Applied sciences, an organization historically related to computer systems, peripherals, and server techniques. The booming demand for Dell’s AI-optimized servers led to a 39% enhance within the firm’s income in fiscal 2026’s This fall to a file $33.4 billion. That was effectively above Dell’s 19% annual income development, which set a file at $113.5 billion.

The corporate obtained $46.1 billion in orders for its AI servers final yr. It shipped $25.2 billion value of AI servers in fiscal 2026, a quantity that it expects to double this yr. Dell can simply hit the $50 billion in income it expects from AI merchandise in fiscal 2027, on condition that it ended final yr with a $43 billion order backlog.

Consequently, do not be stunned to see Dell exceed its fiscal 2027 income steerage of $140 billion and earnings development expectation of 25%. Dell was the most important participant within the AI server market in 2024, with a 20% share. Its AI income development fee suggests it’s simply outpacing the 34% annual development that the general AI server market is poised to clock by 2030.

As this AI inventory trades at a gorgeous 17 occasions earnings, shopping for it appears to be like like a no brainer given its immense development potential.

Before you purchase inventory in Ciena, take into account this:

The Motley Idiot Inventory Advisor analyst crew simply recognized what they imagine are the 10 greatest shares for traders to purchase now… and Ciena wasn’t certainly one of them. The ten shares that made the lower might produce monster returns within the coming years.

Contemplate when Netflix made this checklist on December 17, 2004… in case you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this checklist on April 15, 2005… in case you invested $1,000 on the time of our suggestion, you’d have $1,105,029!*

Now, it’s value noting Inventory Advisor’s whole common return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance in comparison with 187% for the S&P 500. Do not miss the most recent prime 10 checklist, out there with Inventory Advisor, and be a part of an investing neighborhood constructed by particular person traders for particular person traders.

See the ten shares »

*Inventory Advisor returns as of March 14, 2026.

Harsh Chauhan has no place in any of the shares talked about. The Motley Idiot has positions in and recommends Ciena. The Motley Idiot has a disclosure coverage.

The Greatest Shares to Purchase With $500 Proper Now was initially printed by The Motley Idiot