2026 Market Drop. 5 Stocks to Buy Right Now.

By Jennifer Saibil – Mar 18, 2026 at 11:00PM ESTKey PointsCarnival stock is falling on fears about higher oil prices.MercadoLibre's profits declined in the fourth quarter, but the company is reporting high growth.On and Dutch Bros are young companies with incredible long-term potential.The S&P 500 has been heading downward since oil prices started soaring last week. As the war with Iran goes on, affecting oil shipments from the Middle East, it's unclear if this will clear up fast or if there will be long-term effects. While the market is dipping, many great stocks have gone on sale. Consider Carnival (CCL 3.71%)(CUK 3.59%), Apple (AAPL 1.69%), MercadoLibre (MELI 2.19%), Dutch Bros (BROS 0.25%), and On Holding (ONON 1.95%). They all have excellent prospects, but they're trading at a discount right now. Image source: Getty Images. 1. Carnival Carnival is the world's leading cruise operator, and although it's made a strong recovery from the pandemic, the stock is being hit hard again as oil prices rise. Oil is a major expense for cruise companies, and prices always play into their financial management and outlook. Carnival just reported record operating income, but a prolonged impasse for oil shipments could send it lower. It's understandable that the market is worried, but this is likely to be a short-term trend that could end quickly. Otherwise, Carnival has been demonstrating phenomenal performance and resilience despite continued inflation and macroeconomic volatility. Demand remains high, it's paying down its debt, and it's investing for the future. Trading at only 12 times trailing 12-month earnings, Carnival looks like a bargain. 2. Apple The market was disappointed in Apple recently due to its falling behind its mega-tech peers in artificial intelligence (AI) development. But as it demonstrates power in its ecosystem, with a 23% increase in iPhone sales year over year in its most recent quarter, investors have been recognizing its value. On top of that, the tide looks like it's turning in terms of investor sentiment about AI spending. Investors are getting worried about hyperscaler guidance for nearly $700 billion in capital expenditures this year, and it's looking like Apple's $1 billion deal to use Alphabet's Gemini large language model (LLM) instead of building it out its own might be the right way to go. Apple stock is down 7% this year, and it's an excellent long-term value stock. ExpandNASDAQ: AAPLAppleToday's Change(-1.69%) $-4.29Current Price$249.94Key Data PointsMarket Cap$3.7TDay's Range$249.00 - $254.9452wk Range$169.21 - $288.62Volume36MAvg Vol48MGross Margin47.33%Dividend Yield0.41% 3. MercadoLibre MercadoLibre is a powerhouse Latin American tech stock that's a leader in e-commerce and fintech. It's the dominant e-commerce player in 18 countries, and since its region is still underpenetrated, it has plenty of room to grow. Despite outstanding performance in the 2025 fourth quarter, with a 47% year-over-year increase in revenue, the stock has been falling. Profits and margins have been compressed as the company invests in its platform, and the stock has dropped 14% this year. MercadoLibre stock is trading near a five-year low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 42, making this a great opportunity to buy on the dip. ExpandNASDAQ: MELIMercadoLibreToday's Change(-2.19%) $-37.88Current Price$1690.26Key Data PointsMarket Cap$88BDay's Range$1686.99 - $1741.2152wk Range$1631.18 - $2645.22Volume367KAvg Vol577KGross Margin44.50% 4.

Dutch Bros Dutch Bros is a young coffee shop chain that's growing quickly and has huge expansion opportunities. It has doubled its store count over the past four years that it's been a public company to more than 1,000, and it's planning to double it again, reaching 2,029 stores by 2029. In the long term, it anticipates reaching 7,000 stores. Revenue increased 29% year over year in the 2025 fourth quarter, including a 7.7% increase in same-store sales. Net incomes rose from $6.4 million to $29.2 million. However, the market seems to be worried about how it will perform in a continued inflationary environment. The stock had also become extremely expensive, even when factoring in its opportunities. Dutch Bros stock is down 18% this year, and it trades at a P/E ratio of 50. That's still a premium, implying that the market is still excited about its future. ExpandNYSE: BROSDutch BrosToday's Change(-0.25%) $-0.13Current Price$51.16Key Data PointsMarket Cap$8.4BDay's Range$50.85 - $52.2952wk Range$46.52 - $77.88Volume77KAvg Vol4.9MGross Margin25.68% 5. On On is a young, Swiss-based athletic wear company that's making its mark among fitness enthusiasts. It's capturing the premium market, and its marketing to affluent customers provides resilience under pressure. Sales are growing fast, in contrast with most of its peers, and it has the highest gross margin in the industry despite rising costs and a challenging operating environment. In Q4 2025, sales were up 30% year over year, and gross margin expanded from 62.1% to 63.9%. On stock is down 16% year to date, and it trades at a P/E ratio of 52, a large discount to its three-year average of 100. Now is a great time to stock up on shares and hold for the long term.Read NextMar 18, 2026 •By Rick MunarrizCarnival Earnings Anxiety: The Good, Bad, and UglyMar 17, 2026 •By Will EbiefungIs Carnival a Millionaire-Maker Stock?Mar 16, 2026 •By Neil PatelSay Hello to the Monster Stock That Crushed the Market. Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Should Buy and Hold It for 5 Years.Mar 15, 2026 •By Will Healy2 Reasons Not to Give Up on Cruise Line StocksMar 10, 2026 •By Matthew BenjaminThese Cruise Line Stocks Are Falling Amid War-Driven VolatilityMar 10, 2026 •By Adria CiminoMarket Crash: 3 Stocks I'd Buy Without HesitationAbout the AuthorJennifer Saibil has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering the consumer goods and financial sectors since 2019. She previously worked in the financial sector and has written for other finance publications. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Yeshiva University and a master’s degree in public administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.TMFanibirdStocks MentionedCarnival Corp.NYSE: CCL$24.16(-3.71%)-$0.93AppleNASDAQ: AAPL$249.94(-1.69%)-$4.29MercadoLibreNASDAQ: MELI$1,690.06(-2.20%)-$38.08Carnival Corp.NYSE: CUK$24.14(-3.59%)-$0.90Dutch BrosNYSE: BROS$51.16(-0.25%)-$0.13On HoldingNYSE: ONON$39.02(-1.95%)-$0.78*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.