The stock market is in the middle of a challenging period. The Nasdaq Composite technology index has declined by 5.9% since the beginning of August as investors digest seasonal weakness, combined with a continued increase in interest rates. 

But these moments are a great reminder to focus on the long term, because nothing drowns out stock market noise quite like time. In fact, the Nasdaq Composite has delivered a gain of 352% over the last 10 years, which translates to a compound annual return of 13.4%!

Investors could buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF) to track the performance of that index. But those with a higher risk appetite might prefer to buy fast-growing individual stocks instead, which have the potential to outperform the broader market. 

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Source Fool.com