With ongoing geopolitical tensions keeping inflation stubbornly high, investors have been hunting for businesses that don't just survive a higher-cost environment but actively benefit from one. It's a harder search than it sounds, because most companies are hurt by persistent inflation, whether through squeezed margins, rising input costs, or nervous consumers reining in their spending.
A small handful, though, are built differently. Two names in particular stand out as businesses whose entire models are arguably strengthened when prices stay elevated longer than the market expects: warehouse-club giant Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) and waste-collection leader Waste Management Inc. (NYSE: WM).
