The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted numerous lives and economies around the world over the past year, including supply chains for various businesses and services. Many companies are having a hard time getting the materials they need to make their products and fulfill customer demand. Others that are getting sufficient material to continue to produce are doing so only because they planned well or paid a premium to ensure they got what was needed.
COVID-19 outbreaks at some of the busiest ports in the world have only made matters worse, slowing down the loading and unloading of cargo ships. Some recent examples of supply chain problems have involved companies like Peloton (PTON 4.29%), which said it had to spend an extra $100 million to use air freight to ensure customers receive delayed products. Home Depot (HD 0.94%) management said the company went to the extreme measure of securing its own cargo ship to temporarily get around the problem and ensure supply.
It's a big problem for many companies, but some have been much less affected by supply chain issues. In fact, the nature of their business means they are effectively immune to supply chain problems. Three such growth stocks are Netflix (NFLX -0.63%), Pinterest (PINS 4.04%), and Roblox (RBLX 1.35%), and they could actually benefit if supply chain issues persist.
The coronavirus pandemic is disrupting supply chains worldwide. Image source: Getty Images.
1. Netflix
The streaming content pioneer is not affected by supply chain disruption in the traditional sense. Sure, it temporarily halted some production on originals during the worst parts of the pandemic lockdown. But it had enough original content already ready to go so that subscribers barely noticed. Production on series and movies is now back in action and new content for its platform is again readily available.
What's more, Netflix could potentially benefit from supply chain troubled companies. If consumers spend less money on physical products they can't get because of disruptions, they will have more money available to spend on streaming services like Netflix.
2. Pinterest
Similarly, the social media platform Pinterest does not rely on in-house products in the traditional sense to make sales. Instead, the app it offers for free attracts users who want to see inspiring content posted by creators and are willing to tolerate some advertising that is properly mixed in with that content. Some of the advertisers may be affected by supply chain issues, but they still need to advertise.
Pinterest may be less likely to gain from the disruption than Netflix. Still, if consumers find shopping at stores unappealing because of a lack of supply, then spending time on Pinterest's app getting ideas for things they might want at least lets them dream and plan for what they might eventually get.
3. Roblox
The co-experience virtual gaming platform, which has become quite popular with so many kids worldwide, is another company that is immune to supply chain risks. Its supply is entirely digital. The company generates revenue by selling an in-game currency called Robux.
Like Netflix, it might benefit if folks are spending less money on physical goods. So it will leave more money in their pockets to spend on the Roblox app.
Investor takeaway
All three of these companies are growing revenue rapidly with a clear plan for several years of growth ahead of them. Fortunately for each, supply chain disruptions are unlikely to slow them down.
While the lack of supply chain problems is not necessarily a reason to invest in any of these three stocks, it is also not a reason to avoid them. In other words, the supply chain problems worldwide shouldn't stop you from investing in these three growth stocks. The same cannot be said for some of these stocks getting hit by these disruptions. Should the issues persist, they can have a material effect on sales and profits for the companies involved.
Investors should keep an eye on developments in supply chains and check their portfolios for how much they are exposed to supply chain risks. If you find your portfolio is exposed to this risk, you may want to make some changes, and that includes adding Netflix, Pinterest, and Roblox stocks.
