The U.S. election on Nov. 3 could bring a change to the highest office in the land and create new opportunities for some promising companies. We asked three Motley Fool contributors to profile a stock that could get a boost if Joe Biden unseats President Trump this fall. Read on to see why they think Baozun (BZUN 4.31%), Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), and NVIDIA (NVDA -3.33%) could be big winners under a Biden administration.
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This e-commerce stock's outlook could be even brighter
Keith Noonan (Baozun): Taking a tougher stance on trade with China has been one of President Trump's signature policy positions. Rising tensions between the two countries resulted in a flurry of tariff escalations preceding the current trade agreement, which still risks falling apart.
No matter what side of the political aisle you come down on (if any at all), trade tensions with China have cast clouds of uncertainty over many companies. You can count Baozun among them.
Baozun is an e-commerce software and services provider that specializes in helping Western brands launch and expand in China's large and fast-growing online retail market. With the threat of tariffs and the possibility that adversarial political relations will cause Chinese consumers to opt for domestic brands over U.S. brands, the situation has created added risks for the company.
A Biden victory in November won't signal an immediate end to tensions between the U.S. and China. The world's two leading economic powers have disparate geopolitical interests on many fronts and are competitors in influential tech categories, including artificial intelligence and 5G. It could lead to closer relations between the countries, however.
I think Baozun has what it takes to be a market beater no matter who wins in November. Chinese e-commerce is poised for long-term growth, and management has signaled that it will be bringing more large domestic brands onboard its platform. The company's services for small and medium businesses also have the potential to drive growth, as China's economy expands, and the size of its middle class increases. Still, a Biden victory would likely be a positive catalyst for Baozun stock.
An old company with a new name
Will Healy (Lumen Technologies): The fiber company long known as CenturyLink has become an afterthought as consumers increasingly embrace wireless. Moreover, some investors might assume that a wireless telco industry makes fiber networks obsolete.
They should think again.
The exponentially higher number of 5G antennas will depend in large measure on fiber networks for backhaul. Furthermore, the Internet of Things (IoT) will also rely heavily on fiber to enable edge computing.
Additionally, Lumen is also well positioned for a popular Democratic program -- rural broadband. Based in Monroe, Louisiana, Lumen has used its network to offer high-speed internet to some rural areas. This could help Joe Biden, who has pledged broadband for "every American" in an effort to reach rural voters. Biden also worked to expand broadband access when he was vice president.
Lumen stock has experienced a secular decline since 2007 as consumers dropped landlines and cable TV. Moreover, its forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of less than eight does not seem so cheap given tepid earnings growth. Furthermore, missed deadlines on SEC filings and a falling dividend have also hurt the stock.
However, even the reduced annual dividend of $1.00 per share still yields just over 9%. Also, with a free cash flow of $803 million exceeding the $291 million cost of its dividend in its most recent quarter, the payout should remain safe.
Regardless of who wins the election, Lumen stock could benefit as the company repurposes its network to support 5G and IoT. Nonetheless, if a Biden administration subsidizes rural broadband, Lumen could receive an additional boost.
The 5G enabler
Joe Tenebruso (NVIDIA): Joe Biden wants to invest in America. One of his areas of focus is high-speed communications. Biden wants to expand wireless broadband to every American via an accelerated nationwide 5G rollout. That would be a boon for companies like NVIDIA, which stand to profit from a potential surge in demand for 5G equipment.
5G promises to be a technological game-changer. The fifth-generation wireless technology will enable blazingly fast internet speeds. In turn, it can help to usher in a host of cutting-edge new tech, such as self-driving vehicles, smart cities, and the Internet of Things.
That's where NVIDIA comes in. Its computer chips are increasingly being used to power autonomous vehicles and edge-computing platforms, as well as the core infrastructure that powers the 5G networks themselves.
NVIDIA's sales and profits will no doubt get a boost if Biden wins in November. But it will also continue to do just fine if Trump remains president. NVIDIA's revenue surged 50% year over year to $3.9 billion in the second quarter, fueled by strong growth in its gaming and data-center businesses. Its operating cash flow, in turn, soared 67% to nearly $1.6 billion. As you can see, NVIDIA is already firing on all cylinders.
NVIDIA also recently reached a $40 billion deal to acquire chip designer ARM from Japanese conglomerate Softbank (SFTB.Y 0.93%). If the merger is approved, NVIDIA will become an even more powerful force in the global computing industry -- and its shareholders will have more ways to profit in the coming years.
Editors' note: This article has been updated to more accurately state Lumen Technologies' quarterly dividend expense.
