Investments come in two most common categories; long and short term. Short term investments are those that can be liquidated after a short period of time, while long term ones require a long period of time before they can mature and be sold off. Long term investments deal more with issues to do with stock selection rather than those daily decisions that are characteristic of the short term investments.

Long term growth stocks are more favorable than their counterparts because, they attract more returns. Choosing them is not an easy task and it requires some input on the part of the investor. A few steps may guide an investor who is looking for nothing less than the best. The first step is to use what is known as a stock screen to analyze all the stocks in the market. This should be done in two levels, one of those with five year growth rates in excess of 15% and the other with those that have a compounding interest rate of 15% per year.

The next step is to put your focus on those long term growth stocks that range between $500 million and $10 billion in size. Such investments hold the potential to attract great sales in future. Be keener to concentrate on those that hold small cap and mid cap sizes. Once you are done with this, compile those that have fast rates of growth.

Keep in mind that you cannot be able to buy all the stocks that appeal to you. This is where you have got to set boundaries or limits as an investor by narrowing down your choices even further. If you still cannot make a sound decision, consult a fund manager who will be able to make a more simplified analysis for you. The most important point to note is that you should only purchase the stocks only when the major trend is up.