Volatility in investing is commonplace these days. Most stocks are on the move, especially the high-risk, high-reward stocks growth investors crave when the going is good. Now that the market's in a funk -- with high- and low-growth stocks taking it on the chin -- it's a good time for risk-tolerant investors to check into some of the fast-growing companies trading at attractive price points.
Shopify (SHOP -1.84%), Uber Technologies (UBER -1.43%), and Roku (ROKU -0.62%) are some of the more interesting growth stocks that are worth exploring at current price points. Let's take a closer look at these three high-risk investments that you should be adding to your watchlist.
Shopify
It's never been easier to sell to the world. Shopify makes it easy for any budding entrepreneur to go online, and late last year the number of merchant accounts on the e-commerce platform topped a million. Business is getting done on Shopify, as its seamless platform helped drum up $61 billion in gross merchandise value for its merchants last year.
Revenue rose 47% for both Shopify's latest quarter and all of 2019. Growth will inevitably decelerate. Shopify is targeting 35% to 37% top-line growth for the year ahead. However, the stock has fallen 37% since hitting all-time highs last month as of Monday's close. We're looking at a pretty big drop for a company that may not take much of a step back during the coronavirus disruption.
Sure, consumers aren't going to want to spend a lot of money as we barrel into a recession. However, if we do go shopping it's probably going to lean to online channels, where Shopify has more than a million merchants vying for your attention. Homebound and possibly underemployed folks during this lull may also warm up to opening up Shopify stores of their own to drum up some money on the side.
Uber Technologies
Ridesharing has become a battleground industry, and niche leader Uber often finds itself at the center of the debate. There's no denying that Uber has transformed the way a lot of people do things. Folks with cars and time to spare can earn money as drivers. Folks without cars and with the means to trade up from often inefficient mass transit options can hail rides from the Uber app.
Revenue has accelerated in back-to-back quarters, and the personal mobility that delivers roughly 75% of its business is very profitable on an adjusted EBITDA basis. Uber's losing a lot of money on Uber Eats, but we're seeing how important that side business is to Uber now that restaurants across the country have been shutting down their dining rooms.
The COVID-19 pandemic is going to leave a mark. Uber has temporarily suspended the cheaper shared rides option that used to be available on its platform in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Homebound folks are also less likely to be calling for rides on the Uber app.
Uber Eats, its faster-growing restaurant-delivery service, is losing a lot of money, but it's also an important part of the business model. As coronavirus fears escalate, one can argue that demand for restaurant-quality food without having to go out to an eatery is going to rise. It's a competitive niche with heavy promotional activity, but Uber is a leader that will survive the inevitable shakeout. The stock can still be had for less than last year's IPO price, even as it's on more firm footing now.
Uber went public at $45 in the springtime of last year. It has surrendered half of its value, and the market leader of an important disruptive industry deserves to be doing better than that.
Roku
Last year was awesome for Roku shareholders. The stock more than quadrupled in 2019, making it the biggest gainer among large caps. The popular streaming platform has seen its audience grow by 36% over the past year to clock in at 36.9 million active accounts at the start of this year.
The neat thing about Roku's story is that usage is growing even faster. The hours of content streamed through the platform hub have soared 60%, and that's naturally propping up average revenue per user. Obviously folks spending more time at home -- hungry for entertainment -- are going to make this another record quarter of consumption for Roku.
A lot of the obvious companies positioned to cash in on this COVID-19 interruption are bucking the market's slide, but Roku has actually had a pretty rough 2020. The shares have been cut nearly in half since peaking six months ago. A pullback after a monster 2019 is understandable, but Roku is positioned perfectly for the new normal.
Shopify, Uber, and Roku have the right ingredients to survive this current climate, even if their stocks have fallen sharply from their peak levels. They are growth stocks that belong on your watchlist.