Many stocks have been enjoying major gains as the bull market has persisted, driving up shares prices of companies across various indexes. If you're investing for the long term, what's more important is how a stock can perform over the long run versus a period of weeks or months.

While past performance isn't a guarantee of future returns, investing your cash into great companies well-positioned for long-term growth is always a good idea. If you have cash on hand this summer and want to put it into quality companies that can soar in the coming months and years, here are two worthy contenders to consider for your portfolio.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX) is known for its leadership in the field of cystic fibrosis therapeutics but is working to expand beyond this area and further cement its place in the rare-disease drug market. The company's flagship cystic fibrosis therapy Trikafta is approved to treat more than 90% of the U.S. patient population alone. Expanded approvals for Trikafta and Vertex's other cystic fibrosis drugs have helped the company to expand the cycle of use for patients, deepening its foothold in this broad total-addressable market.

Continue reading

Source Fool.com