Some might say that we are in the middle of a recession right now. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the business world upside down last year. Many companies and entire industries are struggling to deliver business growth or, in some cases, keep the lights on at all. At the same time, the stock market is booming. The S&P 500 index has gained 16% over the last 52 weeks and the Nasdaq-100 index soared 42% higher over the same period. I wouldn't be surprised to see a dramatic market correction in the near future, making the stock market's charts more comparable to the reality of this struggling economy.
Investors should take a closer look at Fiverr International (FVRR -0.96%) and Zebra Technologies (ZBRA -1.82%), two tech stocks that look like great buys today. Since these companies arguably benefit from tough market conditions, they would be even more tempting after the next market-wide crash.
Modern camouflage. Image source: Getty Images.
1. Zebra
A market-leading provider of data capture and management solutions, Zebra saw enterprise-scale customers lining up for better data collection tools in 2020.
"They have prioritized spend with us to better position themselves to address the newer automation and digitization trends like omnichannel as an example," CEO Anders Gustafsson said on last week's fourth-quarter earnings call.
In other words, Zebra's data management products are important cogs of many modern business machines, from retail giants and mass merchants to healthcare providers and manufacturers. Zebra's barcodes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can help clients in all of these sectors track their assets more effectively. The company also relies on leading-edge solutions like distributed ledgers and blockchain technology to ensure that the information you're tracking is trusted, highly available, and easy to find.
Zebra's stock rose 50% in 2020. The company absolutely crushed Wall Street's estimates in the second half of that difficult year. This stock has earned its premium valuation by delivering fantastic results in both good and bad times. You should consider buying Zebra today, and then take a second look the next time the stock falls due to a broader market panic.
Those fiverrs can add up in a hurry. Image source: Getty Images.
2. Fiverr
Freelancer marketplace operator Fiverr soared 730% higher in 2020. When millions of people found themselves with a combination of extra time on their hands and stressful budget pressures during the coronavirus lockdowns, the so-called gig economy stepped into the mainstream. Fiverr is not the only name of the game, but the growth opportunity here is incredible.
Fiverr is staring down a domestic freelancer economy worth $815 billion today -- and rising. With trailing revenue of just $163 million, Fiverr has captured roughly 0.02% of the addressable market. That's changing in a hurry, though. Fiverr's sales rose 88% year over year in the third quarter and 89% in the fourth quarter, reported this morning.
Predictably strong growth and a vast reserve of untapped market opportunity makes Fiverr a strong buy at almost any price. As master investor Warren Buffett says, "It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price." That's what you're getting in Fiverr -- an explosive growth stock that is earning every penny of its premium valuation. Like Zebra, Fiverr should only grow faster when times are hard and you should be ready to add to your Fiverr holdings if the next market crash drags this stock down.
