What happened
Shares of Axon Enterprise Inc (AXON 1.27%) jumped as much as 22.1% in trading Thursday as the market returned to some sort of "normal" trading. There wasn't any significant news out about the company, but that didn't seem to deter buyers of this growth stock. At 3:10 p.m. EDT, shares were still up 15.4% for the day.
So what
Shares of Axon have dropped 30% in the past month as the COVID-19 pandemic has sent the market down as a whole. But sometimes stocks like Axon get thrown out with the bathwater as the market sells off, and that may be reversing course today.
Image source: Getty Images.
The reality is that Axon's current business won't be significantly impacted by the outbreak. Law enforcement contracts will still be paid, which accounted for $161 million of recurring revenue at the end of 2019. And budgets for new equipment for 2020 will likely still drive new orders. The rate of new sales may slow and some agencies may be more cautious about spending money, but this isn't likely to be an existential crisis for Axon the way it is for cruise lines, airlines, or the restaurant industry.
Now what
While there might be hiccups for Axon in 2020, I think the big decline in shares over the past month has presented a buying opportunity for investors. When COVID-19 passes (however long that is), the company will remain the top provider of tasers and body cameras for law enforcement, addressing an $8.4 billion market. That's what long-term investors should remain focused on, even if there are some short-term impacts due to turmoil in the economy and stock market.
