There are a lot of exciting companies out there, offering investors earnings growth, dividends, and the promise of top returns over time. Potential winners exist across industries, from consumer goods to technology. And this often makes it very difficult to decide which stocks to buy, especially if your budget is limited.

Luckily, a few companies do stand out as fantastic buys -- for their earnings performance so far, future prospects, and their valuation right now. These are players you can buy today and hold on to for the long term because their growth stories include plenty of chapters ahead that you won't want to miss out on -- and these chapters could result in a major lift for your portfolio.

So, don't worry if you can't invest in dozens of stocks right now, and instead consider the players I'll talk about here. If I could only buy three stocks in the second half of this year, I'd pick these thanks to their solid earnings track records and potential to win over the long run.

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Source Fool.com