The Robinhood investing platform is known for its low fees and user-friendly app and website. The company is wildly popular with novice investors, and its list of popular stocks is a valuable heatmap of what is going on trading-wise among its users.
While some stocks popular among Robinhood users might be considered as questionable investments, others look poised to outperform because of their strong business models and compelling growth drivers. Walt Disney (DIS -1.61%) and Peloton Interactive (PTON -1.47%) fit into the latter category.
Let's dig a little bit deeper to find out why these popular Robinhood stocks would make great buys in September.
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1. Walt Disney: poised for recovery
Walt Disney's stock has recovered substantially from its coronavirus-related mid-March lows, but the entertainment giant still trades at a 12.4% discount to its 52-week high of $153.41 -- allowing investors to pick up shares while they are still relatively cheap.
Disney is poised for renewed success because of the normalizing trend in its parks and experiences segment, as well as the significant growth potential of its direct-to-consumer (streaming) business. While the company still faces coronavirus-related challenges in the near term, its future looks bright because of its blue-chip brand and industry-leading intellectual property.
Disney's parks and experience business declined by 85% to $983 million in the third quarter due to lockdowns and movement restrictions amid the pandemic. The good news is that things look set to improve in the second half of the year. All four Walt Disney World theme parks are now open, with social distancing measures and health screenings in effect to help slow the spread of the pandemic. And while investors shouldn't expect amusement park attendance to immediately return to pre-pandemic levels, a downward trend in coronavirus infections in the U.S. is an encouraging sign for the industry.
The CDC restriction on cruising is also set to expire on Sept. 30, which could be a boon for Disney's currently grounded cruise operations.
The crisis has also created an opportunity for Disney to rapidly scale its streaming business. Disney+ boasted 57.5 million paid subscribers in the third quarter, while ESPN+ and Hulu report 8.5 million and 35.5 million, respectively.
2. Peloton: a highly scalable business model
Peloton Interactive develops and markets high-end fitness platforms. The company is hugely popular among Robinhood's Millennial-dominated clientele, and the stock has creamed the market this year with a 170% rally year-to-date. Peloton is poised for continued success because of its highly scalable business model and consumer trends toward at-home fitness.
The company reported third-quarter earnings on May 6, and the results demonstrate break-neck top-line growth. Total revenue soared 61% to $420.2 million on the back of strong connected fitness product sales and subscriptions. The company benefited from stay-at-home workout demand during the pandemic as people decided to exercise at home to reduce their risk of catching COVID-19. This trend could potentially become permanent among higher-end consumers who can afford to shell out the cash for a personalized at-home fitness experience.
Peloton's business model is highly scalable because connected fitness product (equipment) sales drive adoption of the company's higher-margin subscription service. Peloton's cost of equipment revenue is highly variable, which means costs increase proportionally to the number of units sold. However, the company's subscription costs are more fixed -- which means this segment's gross profit margin will increase substantially with scale. In the second quarter, Peloton's cost of equipment revenue increased by 51%, while its cost of subscription revenue only increased by 9%.
The takeaway
There are many ways to make money in the stock market. Some investors prefer value stocks like Walt Disney, while others prefer disruptive growth stocks like Peloton. Both companies would make great buys in September because of their strong business models and catalysts for share price appreciation over the long term.
