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For the past 12 years, growth stocks have ruled the roost on Wall Street. This isn't a huge surprise given that historically low lending rates and abundant access to capital have allowed fast-paced companies to borrow in order to hire, acquire, and innovate.

The striking outperformance of growth stocks has been readily on display via the Nasdaq 100 -- an index comprised of the 100 largest nonfinancial companies listed on the Nasdaqexchange. Since the trough of the Great Recession on March 9, 2009, the benchmark S&P 500 has gained 556%, whereas the Nasdaq 100 has galloped higher by 1,350%!

Yet, in spite of the Nasdaq 100's clear outperformance over the S&P 500, investors can still find value within the index. The following trio of Nasdaq 100 stocks can be confidently bought hand over fist by investors in August.

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Historically speaking, when there's any weakness in the FAANG stocks, it's an opportunity for long-term investors to go shopping. That's why social media behemoth Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) stands out as a stock investors can buy hand over fist in August.

Two weeks ago, Facebook lifted the hood on its second-quarter operating results and cautioned that revenue growth could slow in the second half of the year. It's a common message we've heard from a number of online and mobile-based companies that benefited immensely from the coronavirus pandemic. However, a quick peek at Facebook's operating data shows no true cause for concern.

When the June quarter came to a close, Facebook recorded 2.9 billion people visiting its namesake site on a monthly basis, as well as 610 million additional unique visitors to WhatsApp and/or Instagram, which Facebook also owns. That's 3.51 billion people (44% of the world's population) visiting a Facebook-owned asset monthly. Advertisers are well aware that there's no social media company on the planet that offers access to more eyeballs than Facebook. This gives the company exceptional ad pricing power.

As a shareholder, what I continue to find most impressive about Facebook is the revenue and profit growth it's achieved while only meaningfully monetizing half of its assets. The roughly $54 billion in ad revenue generated on a year-to-date basis comes almost entirely from Facebook and Instagram. Despite being top social destinations, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp haven't been substantively monetized, as of yet. This gives Facebook another growth gear it can eventually shift into.

It would be wise not to overlook Facebook's opportunity in virtual and augmented reality, either. Although the company doesn't break out sales of its Oculus devices, "Other" category revenue, which encompasses Oculus, has been soaring this year. Ultimately, Oculus could represent one of the many ways Facebook keeps users within its ecosystem of products and services.

The bottom line is that a dominant company with a 20%-plus growth rate shouldn't be valued at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of less than 23. Despite its trillion-dollar market cap, Facebook remains a bargain.

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Another Nasdaq 100 stock just begging to be bought in August is semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions provider Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO).

The single biggest growth driver for Broadcom looks to be the shift to 5G wireless infrastructure. It's been a decade since wireless carriers last made significant upgrades to download speeds. With carriers spending big bucks to update their infrastructure, we're liable to see consumers and businesses undertake a multiyear tech replacement cycle to take advantage of faster download speeds.

The reason this is such a positive for Broadcom is that the company generates a majority of its revenue from smartphone components. It develops and supplies original equipment manufacturers with wireless LAN/Bluetooth combination solutions, as well as proximity sensors, amplifiers, and global navigation satellite system receivers, to name a few core solutions. This multiyear upgrade cycle should lead to steady demand and highly predictable cash flow for Broadcom's biggest operating segment.

The big data push in the wake of the pandemic is also going to be a major boost to Broadcom's growth potential. Prior to March 2020, we were witnessing a steady shift by businesses to move data into the cloud. But once the pandemic struck, businesses had little choice but to create an online presence and ensure that data was accessible in the cloud, especially with remote workforces. This has substantially boosted data center storage demand.

While Broadcom has industrial and networking applications, it's the role it can play as a provider of connectivity and access chips to data centers that's most intriguing (beyond its smartphone sales). With cloud infrastructure still, arguably, in its early innings of growth, demand for data center infrastructure solutions should remain robust for a long time to come.

And don't overlook Broadcom's exceptional dividend growth. Whereas most tech stocks reinvest a lot of their cash flow back into innovation, Broadcom is so profitable that it can afford to parse out a base annual payout of $14.40 annually to its shareholders -- good enough for a 3% yield. Since the company began paying a dividend a little over 10 years ago, its quarterly payout has grown by more than 5,000%!

Image source: Getty Images.

The third Nasdaq 100 stock that growth investors can confidently buy hand over fist in August is China-based e-commerce company JD.com (NASDAQ:JD).

For the past couple of months, China-based tech stocks have come under pressure from the Chinese government for a variety of reasons, including data security and allegations of antitrust violations. Since it's unclear which Chinese tech stocks could fall into the crosshairs of the government's watchful eye, pretty much all China-based growth stocks, including JD.com, have been hammered. But in JD's case, this discount looks like an opportunity.

Currently, JD slots in as China's second-largest online retailer, behind Alibaba (NYSE:BABA). For those who might recall, Alibaba was hit with a record $2.8 billion antitrust fine by Chinese regulators four months ago. But even though these two are China's largest online retailers, their operating models are very different.

Alibaba operates as a third-party marketplace, where it essentially acts as the middleman. Meanwhile, JD generates its online revenue almost exclusively as a direct retailer. This means JD handles inventory and logistics, just like Amazon. This added autonomy makes it far less likely that JD will become a target of Chinese regulators.

And it's not just the rapid growth of online retail in China that should excite investors. JD has been investing in a number of higher-margin ancillary operations that should help lift its profitability and operating cash flow. This includes advertising, healthcare services, and cloud services. The latter is especially exciting, with Cloudflareand JD partnering up in late April. This deal, which will see Cloudflare utilize JD's cloud infrastructure, will create a steady stream of revenue for this high-margin operating segment.

Although I'd dub JD as the riskiest of the three stocks here, primarily due to geopolitical uncertainty, it's tough to overlook this company's growth potential in the second-largest economy in the world. Paying 30 times forward earnings for a company with a sustainable 20%-plus growth rate is a solid deal for investors.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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3 Nasdaq 100 Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in August - The Motley Fool

Think that the shift to remote working, coupled with ever more sophisticated technology, has rendered active personal networking useless? Think again. Recent trends may have changed how professional networks are built, but building a network remains as crucial as everespecially for business leaders.

If hearing the word networking fills you with dread, panic, or fear, this probably isnt welcome news. But it does not have to be as difficult or time-consuming as many people believe, especially if you dutifully follow the three pieces of advice below.

LinkedIn is not a little-known secretwith more than 750 million members, its an essential tool in the business world. Touting itself as the worlds largest professional network on the internet, the platform offers networkers the opportunity to get in touch with former colleagues, conduct research on potential employers, take a deep dive into profiles of potential future coworkers, and so much more. By allowing you to connect with people, from interns to CEOs, and search for people with specific job roles, it might just be the most powerful professional networking tool to ever grace the world (yes, really).

Of course, to take advantage of the site, you will have to do more than just create an account and hope for the best. Adding people at random is not recommended, either.

Publish posts: To get your name out there and increase your chances of connecting with the right people, the best strategy is to create and publish interesting posts. And make sure to post regularly, too experts suggest that posting up to five times per week is ideal for engagement on LinkedIn (as long as hitting that milestone doesnt come at the expense of quality).

Also, put some thought into your timing. Generally, the best times to post are during the morning and evening commute or during lunch break (although there is some variation between sectors).

And what about the content itself? Carve out some to consider who you are trying to reach and what their areas of interest may be. Some ideas include:

Giving your opinion on breaking industry news.

Sharing an interesting thought piece.

Writing your thoughts on a recent experience (personal or professional).

When all else fails and you are at a loss, consider that according to one recent study, how-to posts tend to grab readers attention the best. Furthermore, comments boost engagement, so asking your followers for their thoughts is a great way to get more eyeballs on your work.

While it is not reasonable to expect your very first post to attract the attention of the CEO of a multinational, you might be surprised at how much you can achieve through consistency.

If you belong to the 90% of the population that does not enjoy networking events full of strangers (I just made that statistic up, but its probably accurate), the idea of sticking to the internet to meet new people will probably sound appealing.

But just because meeting people in person can be daunting doesnt mean that it should not be done.

You might have heard the following Jim Rohn quote: Youre the average of the five people you spend the most time with. But most of us are not spending the most time with the people who can push us to grow and develop ourselvesso go out there and meet them.

There is no secret hack to this one. Just look for networking events near you, push yourself to attend them, and practice approaching people. Some good places to find local opportunities include:

Meetup.

Eventbrite.

Your college or graduate school.

LinkedIn.

Twitter.

Instead of expecting yourself to magically become an expert networker in your first interaction, change your mindset. Why not give yourself the challenge of contacting five to 15 people daily with the sole intention of polishing your skills?

One day, you might just wake up and realize you are better than you were when you began.

Whether you are networking online or in person, the initial encounter is not the only thing that matters.

You might believe that first impressions are key, but a follow-up can be a unique opportunity to show that you remembered someone and were genuinely interested in what they had to say. Return to them and offer value.

For instance, if you were having a conversation with a marketing executive who told you they were struggling to find the right e-learning platform for their team and you later came across a suitable solution, you could drop them a message to let them know.

Or maybe you met two people on separate occasions with similar visions who could benefit from connecting. Why not introduce them and become a super-connector?

If you are contacting five to 15 people daily, it might seem overwhelming to have to follow up with each one of them, but the least you can do is note down their details on a spreadsheet so you can remember who they are.

Also, dont go overboard with your messages. Youre 50% more likely to get a response to your email if your message is just 125 words long.

After more than a year of constant lockdown and limited social contact, many of us are feeling rusty in the social sphere, but dont let that hold you back. Its time to dust off your people skills, put yourself out there again, and get networking.

Your future self will thank you.

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How leaders build networks to enhance their careers Fast Company - Fast Company

US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he was "very concerned" about case trends among school children. He noted that most of the children getting sick are living in states with low vaccination rates. "So, my plea is that for those who are not vaccinated, think about it."

As on August 10, 51 per cent of the US population is fully vaccinated. More than 71 per cent of US adults have got at least one shot. The White House is calling the latest wave a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" and pleading with holdouts to get their shots.

The first case of Covid-19 in the US was reported on January 21, 2020. On August 10, the country reported 184,346 new confirmed cases. The virus is blamed for more than 618,000 deaths in the US alone, which accounts for the world's highest caseload and deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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94,000 US kids got Covid-19 last week, the panic is real as schools reopen - National Herald

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday confirmed its intention to bid for cricket's inclusion in the Olympic Games beginning with Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) edition.

"We would love for cricket to be a part of future Games. Our sport is united behind this bid, and we see the Olympics as a part of cricket's long-term future. We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics," said Greg Barclay, the ICC chairman in a statement issued by the ICC.

The ICC has convened a working group meeting which will be focused on cricket becoming part of the Olympic family for Los Angeles Games 2028, Brisbane Games 2032 and beyond.

"Clearly cricket has a strong and passionate fan-base, particularly in South Asia where 92% of our fans come from, whilst there are also 30 million cricket fans in the USA. The opportunity for those fans to see their heroes competing for an Olympic medal is tantalising," said Barclay.

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ICC reaffirms commitment to bid for cricket's inclusion in Olympics - National Herald

British Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has been blocked from joining employment networking site LinkedIn, the latest decision among major social media platforms to ban him.

A LinkedIn spokesperson said the account belonging to Choudary, who was convicted on terrorism charges in 2016 and once praised the Sept. 11 hijackers as Muslims "carrying out their Islamic responsibility and duty" with the attack, was taken down because the platform doesn't "allow any terrorist organizations or violent extremist groups on our platform."

"And we dont allow any individuals who affiliate with such organizations or groups to promote their activities," the company said in a statement. "We enforce those rules to help keep LinkedIn safe, trusted and professional. These rules apply to everyone on LinkedIn and if they are violated, we take action."

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TRANSFERS FIRST DETAINEE OUT OF GUANTANAMO BAY

Choudary had already been blocked from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, with a spokesperson for the latter two saying his accounts violated its Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policies.

"Under these rules, we ban organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or engage in organized hate or violence," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"That was quick, a record, just five days after I set up my account," Choudary told Sky News on July 29 of his ban from Twitter.

Choudary asserted he was "quite moderate" in his Twitter posts and that the company did not provide a reason for blocking him. The companies did not immediately disclose whether a particular post led to their actions. He had been posting about his interpretation of the Quran and Sharia before his accounts were deactivated.

The Washington Examiner contacted Twitter for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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In July 2016, Choudary was found guilty of providing support to ISIS and was sentenced to five and a half years in prison. He was released in October 2018 and served the rest of his sentence under supervision.

Choudary had been subject to public speaking restrictions as part of his sentence, most of which expired in the last two weeks.

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British Islamist preacher banned from multiple social media platforms - Washington Examiner