There were 1,637 stocks on the three major U.S. stock exchanges hitting new 52-week lows last week, but it wasn't a bad time for everybody. Nearly 300 stocks also managed to score fresh highs during last week's sell-off, and some of the names might surprise you.
Netflix (NFLX 2.52%), Trex (TREX +1.73%), and JD.com (JD 0.73%) all managed to trade at levels that they hadn't seen in more than a year during last week's overall market downturn. Let's take a closer look at the reasons these three investments are bucking the Wall Street malaise.
Image source: Trex.
Netflix
The world's leading streaming video service is growing in popularity as an investment as the coronavirus threat expands, and that's probably not a coincidence. Netflix is being seen as a platform that can thrive at a time when consumers are staying closer to home in the pursuit of entertainment.
Piper Sandler analyst Michael Olson put out a bullish note on Thursday, arguing that a search index analysis shows domestic and international interest in Netflix growing at a headier pace than what the Wall Street pros are currently forecasting. He's sticking to his $400 price target, which also happens to be the median among analysts following the stock.
Trex
Another company that may be cashing in on coronavirus concerns is Trex. The leading distributor of wood-alternative decking materials hit another all-time high on Thursday. Benchmark analyst Reuben Garner initiated coverage of Trex earlier in the day, with a bullish rating and a $126 price target.
Garner's price goal is the new Street high for the patio builder that some see as a beneficiary of having folks stay close to home and extend their outdoor living area. Composites make up roughly a fifth of the total North American decking market, but the durability and eco-friendly nature of its largely recycled products continue to grow faster the overall industry.
Consolidated net sales rose 18% for the quarter that it reported two weeks ago, pushing the top line 9% higher for all of 2019. The bottom line is growing even faster, reversing a negative trend from earlier in the year. Guidance is also encouraging, as Trex sees strong double-digit growth continuing into 2020 for both the current quarter and the entire year. We're heading into the peak deck-building season, as residential customers tend to consider outdoor decking projects just as winter passes the baton to spring.
JD.com
COVID-19 originated in China, but with cases in the world's most populous country starting to ease, investors are taking a closer look at some of China's growth darlings. JD.com is one of China's largest online retailers, and last week it came through with a strong financial update. Revenue rose 27% for JD.com's fourth quarter, and earnings trounced analyst expectations the way it has consistently over the past few months.
Investors figured the quarter would be solid. The real concern with JD.com was going to be guidance, since the coronavirus outbreak began generating worrisome headlines after the end of the period. Thankfully, JD.com is pointing out that it sees revenue growth of at least 10% for the current quarter, a welcome development to some who were modeling an outright decline. It's probably fair to say that most of the growth came earlier in the period before the virus fears erupted, but investors took comfort in the outlook for the online giant that begins 2020 with 362 million active customer accounts. This is a particularly risky time to be investing in Chinese stocks, but well-positioned companies including JD.com are moving higher.
