Earnings reports can be an investor's best friend. They don't just tell us about recent revenue and profit. They also offer us clues about a company's future. These reports don't have to be 100% positive. But if certain important points are bright, we might be looking at a buying opportunity.

That's the case for both AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG). The companies each face specific challenges at the moment. But they've also given us some pretty good reasons to be optimistic about the future. Let's take a closer look at these two top stocks to buy this month and hold forever.

I'll get the bad news out of the way first. AbbVie's super blockbuster immunology drug Humira is set to face U.S. competition as of next year. Humira's international sales already are on the decline as rivals outside of the U.S. take market share.

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Source Fool.com