Despite the fact that this year so far has been a growth year for the markets, there are still some stocks that are not participating in this growth. It doesn't necessarily spell the end for them, but it's a great place for investors to think about what's behind it. Some companies may not be doing entirely well this year or are dealing with temporary issues that may subside over time. We'll take a look at 3 such stocks now.

Solid companies can continue to grow in good times and bad. These are the types of stocks that you want to own for the long term because over time they deliver higher returns and net income, leading to a higher stock price. Patience is key because companies need time to build a solid base, reinvest profits and implement business development initiatives. These stocks are good for long-term holding as well as short-term buying and realizing gains just on the fact that companies will return to where they were not long ago.

Since the start of 2023, the S&P 500 has risen 14%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has risen nearly 38%. The recent surge in stocks has many wondering if we are in a new bull market. While stock prices have risen, uncertainty remains in the broader economy. The Federal Reserve recently paused its cycle of aggressive interest rate hikes. However, the federal funds rate is at its highest level since 2007, and concerns persist about how higher interest rates could affect the economy.

At first glance, it might seem that the cosmetics industry is not that interesting. Not everyone uses it on a daily basis and considered a necessity like food. But one thing to keep in mind is that the cosmetics industry is global. In December, research firm Statista published a report on the global cosmetics market. So they divided the cosmetics industry into four categories: cosmetics, personal care, skin care and fragrances. The research suggests that total global cosmetics industry revenue was $528 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $571 billion by the end of 2023.

After three years of intense lock-downs, China's economy finally began to break through the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2023. Investors, seeing how stocks performed in other markets after the lifting of pandemic restrictions, began buying Chinese stocks in the hope that companies would begin to improve their finances again. This could be an opportunity for other investors. China is an interesting market, but if you choose to invest there, you need to be aware of the risks that are strongly linked to Chinese geopolitics.

Some stocks that have smaller market capitalizations than large technology firms tend to move more. By this is meant the greater volatility of these titles, as it takes much less to move their price. For a stock to appreciate that much in 2 years, it would need an average annual growth rate of about 124%. The overall average annual stock market gain over many decades is closer to 10%. Five times over a decade still beats the market average because we are talking about growth of about 17.5% per year. The numbers are high and therefore may not be 100% true either. Even so, several companies have managed to do it in less time in the past, so let's take a look at today's 3 stocks.

Technology can be a challenging sector for long-term investment due to the constant innovation that threatens market leaders. These stocks are the best at what they do now and still offer potentially solid investment returns in the coming decades as technology continues to evolve and these leaders may be the ones to profit from it.

Both Lemonade $LMND, and SoFi $SOFI Technologies are innovative companies looking to enter the insurance and banking markets. Although they have the potential to truly change the market, their stocks have fallen significantly from their all-time highs, even after experiencing huge price increases since the beginning of May. Currently, both stocks are "waking up" and may hold great opportunities for investors.

One of the most difficult decisions an investor has to make is whether to buy a stock that has recently grown rapidly and significantly in value. At the core, we all want a good deal, but buying a stock at a higher price than it was a few months ago, for example, is not always entirely easy. In the back of the mind it starts to scrap whether it is better to wait for the discounts, but this mentality leads to the investor missing out on interesting gains over time. Of course, it's not good to buy everything that's currently rising, but sometimes it's not a good thing. However, behind everything there must be a thorough analysis and decision by each investor. Here are 3 possible candidates for continued growth.