Have you accumulated around $3,000 to invest in some compelling stocks -- money that you won't need for at least five years, in case the market heads south for a while? Or perhaps you only have $600, or maybe you're flush with $30,000 to invest. No matter the amount, there are lots of very promising investments in the market.

Here's a look at three companies that have a lot going for them -- and for their shareholders. 

1. ASML 

ASML (ASML -0.32%) might not be familiar to you, but it's a major player in the semiconductor arena, with a recent market value above $250 billion. It specializes in supplying software, hardware, and services such as lithography.

The stock was recently down some 23% from its high in 2021, in part because the cyclical semiconductor industry is on a downswing. It might take a while for the industry to heat up again, but ASML appears attractively priced at recent levels, and it's likely to be a solid performer for long-term investors.

A look at its past performance is certainly encouraging: Over the past 10 years and 20 years, the stock averaged annual gains of more than 24%.

In the company's first quarter of 2023, total revenue was 6.7 billion euros ($7.3 billion), up more than 90% year over year and 5% over the previous quarter. CEO Peter Wennink said, "For 2023, ASML expects continued strong growth with a net sales increase of over 25% and a slight improvement in gross margin, relative to 2022." He also said that the company has a backlog of orders totaling nearly 39 billion euros.

2. Booking Holdings

Booking Holdings (BKNG -1.15%) was recently valued at close to $100 billion. It's a titan in online travel services, with many familiar sites under its roof, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, Rentalcars.com, Kayak, and OpenTable. (Its subsidiary brands include Rocketmiles and Momondo.)

Over the past decade, Booking's stock has averaged annual growth of 13.6%, and over the past 20 years, the average has been 28.3%. (It's not unusual for a company's growth rate to slow as it gets very big.) The company's first quarter of 2023 featured gross travel bookings (the value of all travel services booked through the company) at an all-time high of $39.4 billion, up a hefty 44% over year-earlier levels. Total revenue, meanwhile, jumped 40%, while a year-ago loss of $700 million swung to a $266 million gain this year.

Demand for travel can certainly fluctuate, as the onset of the pandemic reminded us. But over the long run, there's likely to be a lot of it, and Booking Holdings is poised to capture a lot of that business.

CEO Glenn Fogel has said: "[W]e believe we are well positioned to navigate any potential near-term economic uncertainty given our highly variable expense structure, solid operating results, substantial liquidity, and strong free cash flow. This allows us to remain focused on what's important for the long term, which means making the necessary investments to strengthen and grow our business while remaining cost-conscious and implementing initiatives across the business to drive cost efficiency."

With its price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios well below their five-year averages, Booking's stock seems appealingly priced at recent levels.

3. Cognizant Technology Solutions

Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTSH -0.86%), a specialist in IT services and consulting with a recent market value near $31 billion, has seen its shares drop more than 30% from their high in 2022. The CEO was replaced early in the year, and the economy is pressuring revenue, as many businesses cut back or postpone spending.

But there's much to like about the business. It employs more than 350,000 people worldwide, and its revenue streams are well diversified, both geographically and by industry -- including financial services, health sciences, media, technology, and more.

It says it works with all of the top 30 global pharma companies, 9 of the top 10 European banks, 6 of the top 10 internet companies, and 23 of the top 25 healthcare plans. Cognizant also has a solid balance sheet with more than $2 billion in cash and equivalents. The company's first quarter featured revenue that was roughly flat year over year, but bookings growth accelerated. 

Cognizant's dividend recently yielded 1.8%. It has hiked its payout by an annual average of 8% over the past five years. Its stock looks attractively valued at recent levels, with its P/S and P/E ratios well below their five-year averages.

These are just three of many promising investment opportunities out there. Before buying, research any company more deeply. And if you do buy, aim to hang on to the shares for years, while keeping up with the company's progress.