It would be silly for us to promise that any stock could double over any given time frame. There are thousands of variables that play a role in a stock's price, and many of them aren't predictable.
That being said, by focusing on a few variables that are both easy to verify and indicative of positive business momentum, we can narrow down the field of companies that are ripe for doubling. Small cap stocks with a history of -- or potential to -- drastically increase sales are good targets for such investments.
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Below, our analysts tell you why they believe Coherus BioSciences (CHRS +1.21%), CalAmp (CAMP +0.00%), and Axon Enterprises (AAXN 1.53%) are three such candidates.
Down, but not out
Brian Feroldi (Coherus BioSciences): Biosimilar drugs hold a lot of promise to help reverse the skyrocketing cost of medicine. That's why I've had my eye on Coherus BioSciences for quite some time. This small-cap biotech offers investors a pure-play way to buy into this potential $20 billion market.
Coherus is researching copycat versions of a handful of multi-billion dollar drugs, including Amgen's Neulasta and Enbrel as well as AbbVie's Humira. If Coherus succeeds at bringing one of these drugs to market and can steal even a small amount of market share then it could be a financial bonanza for the business.
Unfortuantly, we recently learned that Coherus whiffed with its first shot on goal. The FDA just rejected its application for a biosimilar version of Amgen's Neulasta. The agency said it needed to take a closer look at existing data and get more information on the company's manufacturing processes before it could give the thumbs up. Predictably, this news didn't sit well with investors.
While I understand the market's reaction, it is worth pointing out that the FDA isn't requiring any additional clinical testing. That could mean that Coherus could have this drug back in the FDA's hands within a matter of months. If that happens, my guess is that the company will have much better luck the second time around. What's more, it's important to remember that Coherus still has two other drug candidates in development that should be sent off to regulators in the U.S. and E.U. later this year. I think that it is fair to say that Coherus learned a lot from this fiasco and will be much more careful with future filings.
In total, Coherus is down, but it is certainly not out. If the company successfully addresses its issue with its next regulatory filing, it wouldn't surprise me to see shares double from here.
This small-cap winner is only getting stronger
Steve Symington (CalAmp): I think CalAmp can (at least) double investors' money in the coming years. CalAmp's revenue last quarter climbed a solid 21.6% year over year to $86.1 million, but would have increased 46% had it not been for CalAmp shuttering its satellite business in late 2016.
Meanwhile, revenue from international customers climbed 90% last fiscal year to $91 million, but still only represented just 26% of total sales. And recurring revenue climbed 39% last year to $59.4 million, adding a modest measure of stability to CalAmp's often volatile results in these early stages.
Last quarter CalAmp also completed the integration of vehicle recovery solutions company LoJack, which it acquired for $134 million early last year. In doing so, CalAmp can now hone its focus on entering new multibillion-dollar markets by leveraging LoJack's products on a global scale.
Better yet, CalAmp management told investors last quarter that it expects the business to "strengthen as the year progresses." If CalAmp delivers on that prediction when it reports earnings later this month -- even with shares trading near a fresh 52-week high -- I think investors have every right to be excited for what's to come.
Making policing safe for everyone
Brian Stoffel (Axon): This company has a simple mission: "To protect life." For most of the company's history -- it was formerly known as TASER International -- it accomplished that goal by offering non-lethal weapons to law enforcement. But over the last two years, the focus has changed drastically to include equipping America's police with body cameras and a platform to store and analyze all of that data.
Earlier this year, the company made the bold move of offering up a free body camera and one-year subscription to its Evidence.com platform -- among other things -- to every law enforcement officer in America. While that means the company will definitely take a hit in the short-term, it introduces enormous potential moving forward.
Even before the announcement, the company announced that the Axon side of its business -- including body cameras and Evidence.com -- saw revenue climb 122% while the sale of Tasers grew a solid 26%.
Perhaps most important, the number of seats occupied on the Evidence.com platform -- which is very sticky due to enormously high switching costs -- grew 12% to 148,000. With a market cap of just $1.3 billion, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Axon could double your money in just a few years.
