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Why founder-led stocks like JD.com are winning with long-term investors right now. Inflation driven by energy costs is keeping central banks on edge, and nobody quite knows how long elevated rates will last. That uncertainty puts extra pressure on companies run by hired executives chasing quarterly numbers. Founder-led businesses tend to behave differently. When the person steering the ship also built it, decisions skew toward decades rather than the next earnings call. Three names currently stand out in this category: JD.com, Xanadu Quantum Technologies, and Nu Holdings. What makes JD.com a founder-led stock worth watching? JD.com just returned to operating profit in its second quarter of 2026, with JD Retail posting record margins and food delivery losses shrinking sharply, even though total revenue slipped 2.9% and the stock still sold off. JD.com runs China's largest self-operated e-commerce and logistics network, generating the bulk of its roughly CN¥1.32 trillion in annual revenue through JD Retail, with JD Logistics and newer business lines contributing smaller shares. The company's US$39.1 billion market cap reflects a business that's now prioritizing efficiency over pure scale, an approach common among founder-run firms. That said, overall margins remain thin, and JD.com leans on outside borrowing to fund operations, so the profit turnaround comes with real execution risk attached. Is Xanadu Quantum Technologies a good long-term growth stock? Xanadu is growing revenue quickly and has landed partnerships with major names like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Rolls-Royce, but it's still unprofitable and carries significant funding and valuation risk. The Toronto-based company builds photonic quantum computers along with the Pennylane and Catalyst software platforms used by researchers and machine-learning teams. Its roughly CA$4.9 billion market cap is built on a small but expanding revenue base, about $7.2 million currently, mostly from US customers, tied to work ranging from defense contracts to cancer-research collaborations. For investors, that combination of early commercial traction and continued losses makes Xanadu a higher-volatility bet suited to those comfortable riding out near-term swings. Why is Nu Holdings considered a strong founder-led bank stock? Nu Holdings serves around 139 million customers across Latin America, is already profitable at scale, and just approved a $1 billion share buyback, signaling management confidence in the balance sheet. The São Paulo-based digital bank posted Q2 2026 net income of $1.06 billion and return on equity above 27%, putting it well ahead of most digital-banking peers globally. Its roughly $73.6 billion market cap still prices the company as an emerging-markets lender, though, and that discount isn't without reason. Bad loans currently sit at 8.6%, and Nu's expansion into Mexico, Colombia, and an upcoming US push adds regulatory and execution risk that long-term holders will need to track closely. How can investors find more founder-led stocks like these? These three companies came from a single screen that surfaced over 1,400 additional founder-led businesses, meaning there's a much larger pool of similar opportunities beyond the names covered here. The common thread across JD.com, Xanadu, and Nu Holdings is ownership structure. Founders with meaningful personal stakes tend to underwrite risk differently than professional management teams answering to quarterly guidance. That doesn't make any of these three stocks a guaranteed win; each carries its own balance-sheet and execution risks worth reviewing in full before making a decision. But for investors building a long-horizon portfolio, founder-led companies remain a useful lens for filtering out short-term noise. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Source data referenced from Simply Wall St.

JD.com stock and 2 Founder Led Companies built for long term investors. August 17, 2026 Energy driven inflation is testing central banks and raising questions about how long higher rates might stick around. That puts more pressure on executives who answer only to quarterly targets. Founder led companies often think in decades, not quarters, because their personal wealth and legacy are on the line. This article highlights three founder led stocks from the Founder Led Companies screener that show how that mindset can reshape risk and opportunity. The three founder led companies in this article are just a sample, and the full screen surfaced 1,443 more businesses with equally compelling narratives that are not covered here. To identify and analyze the highest conviction ideas that match your style, head straight into the Founder-Led Companies screener. Overview: JD.com is a Beijing headquartered e commerce and supply chain company that sells everything from electronics and home appliances to groceries, healthcare products and luxury goods, supported by its own nationwide logistics network. It also provides online marketplace, marketing, logistics and omni channel services for third party merchants in China and selected overseas markets. Operations: JD.com generates most of its roughly CN¥1.32t annual revenue from JD Retail, around CN¥1.12t, with JD Logistics contributing about CN¥243b and New Businesses about CN¥43b, primarily in the People's Republic of China. Market Cap: US$39.1b JD.com stands out in the founder led group because it couples a vast retail and logistics platform with a clear focus on efficiency and cash generation at a time when many e commerce peers are still prioritizing scale at any cost. Recent results show a return to operating profit in Q2 2026, record margins for JD Retail and sharply lower losses in food delivery, even though revenue fell 2.9% and the stock sold off on the news. Analysts see upside potential, yet margins remain thin and the business relies heavily on external borrowing, so execution risk is a factor to consider. For investors willing to weigh those trade offs, JD.com presents a complex story that may merit closer inspection. JD.com's return to profit and record retail margins, alongside thin overall margins and sizeable borrowing, raises a simple question for you: Is the risk return profile properly reflected in the 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign Build your own founder-led shortlist around JD.com. JD.com and the other two founder led stocks in this article all came from a single filter, but the real value for you is shaping a set of rules that fits your own playbook. Use our flexible Screener to mix valuation, growth, balance sheet strength and risks, or jump straight into our curated Investing Ideas for ready made starting points. Overview: Xanadu Quantum Technologies is a Toronto based company that builds photonic quantum computers and the software that runs on them, giving customers cloud access to x-series quantum devices and tools to design and test quantum algorithms. Its Pennylane and Catalyst platforms are aimed at developers, researchers and machine learning teams that want to experiment with quantum machine learning, chemistry simulations and other advanced computing workloads. Operations: Xanadu Quantum Technologies generates about $7.2 million in revenue from Computer Services, with roughly $6.6 million from the United States and smaller contributions from Canada and the rest of the world. Market Cap: CA$4.9b Xanadu Quantum Technologies sits at the sharp end of quantum computing, with rapid revenue growth, major research partners like Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Rolls Royce, and real world projects that range from U.S. defence contracts to cancer treatment research with the University of Alberta. At the same time, the stock carries meaningful risk, including ongoing losses, a high P/B multiple, heavy R&D spend, funding that leans on higher risk borrowing and a board that is still bedding in. For investors who can tolerate swings in share price and near term earnings pressure, the mix of fast growing quantum services, an expanding U.S. footprint and enterprise partnerships could be the start of a much larger story that is not yet fully reflected in the numbers. Rapid revenue growth, heavyweight partners and real world projects have put Xanadu Quantum Technologies on many radar screens. Even so, the full risk reward mix is not obvious from headlines. The 2 key rewards and 3 important warning signs (1 is major!) could surface what is really driving the story next. Overview: Nu Holdings is a São Paulo based digital banking group that offers app based accounts, cards, payments, lending, investments, insurance and services such as travel and mobile phone plans to customers across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and a handful of other markets. Operations: Nu Holdings generates about $8.4b in revenue from Banking, with most of its roughly $15b total coming from Brazil and the rest from Mexico and other countries. Market Cap: $73.6b Nu Holdings gives you exposure to a digital bank that serves around 139 million customers in Latin America and is already profitable at scale, with ROE above 27% and Q2 2026 net income of $1.06b. The stock currently prices Nu as a higher risk emerging markets bank. The company has approved a $1b buyback that signals management's confidence in its balance sheet. The catch is clear. Credit quality needs close attention given bad loans of 8.6%, and rapid expansion in Mexico, Colombia and a coming U.S. push raises execution and regulatory risk that long term investors will need to watch closely. Nu Holdings combines ROE above 27% with a $1b buyback, which could signal a very specific message to the market. The analysis report for Nu Holdings reveals what that confidence might be quietly pricing in Seeking alternatives before the crowd moves. Fresh stock ideas do not stay under the radar for long. Once momentum builds, entry points can vanish fast. Scan these focused lists while it matters and get in early. * Target resilient compounders with rock solid finances by running a quick pass through the list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals (50 results). Let others chase stories while you focus on strength. * Spot early momentum in metals that could shape the next infrastructure cycle by checking the curated 9 top copper producer stocks. Consider reviewing opportunities before headlines reflect these developments. * Consider positioning ahead of potential power grid upgrades by reviewing companies inside the 40 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks. When capital flows increase into this theme, entry points may change. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. New: AI Stock Screener & alerts. Our new AI Stock Screener scans the market every day to uncover opportunities. - Dividend Powerhouses (3%+ Yield) - Undervalued Small Caps with Insider Buying - High growth Tech and AI Companies Or build your own from over 50 metrics. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected]