On Tuesday, the S&P 500 undoubtedly spooked investors and raised concerns about a possible market crash when it fell 2% and had its worst day in months. Fears of a market crash seem to never be too far away given the index has soared more than 50% since March 2020 when the pandemic hit, sending many stocks to all-time highs.
But there are some stocks that you shouldn't worry about over the long term simply because their trajectories look so strong. And if the market crashes, that might just make them even better buys. Two such stocks are Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF -1.20%) and Facebook (META 2.33%).
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1. Green Thumb Industries
Cannabis producer Green Thumb Industries is one of the dominant multi-state operators in the U.S. It has several branded cannabis products and 16 manufacturing facilities, and it opened its 65th retail location (and third in New Jersey) this month.
A big reason this company won't stop growing is just the sheer potential; as more states legalize marijuana, it will have more room to grow. New York and New Jersey only legalized recreational pot this year, but sales won't commence until next year (although medical marijuana is currently available for sale in those states). With Green Thumb already in those markets, it is ready to take advantage of those opportunities once they arise. To date, 36 states and four territories permit medical marijuana, and 18 states plus two territories have enacted legislation for adult-use cannabis. Markets such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida are examples of large states that haven't yet passed recreational marijuana legislation but could do so over the next few years.
But there's plenty to keep Green Thumb busy for the time being. When it reported its second-quarter results in August (for the period ending June 30), its revenue of $221.9 million rose 85.4% year over year. It was also the fourth straight quarter where its net income was positive, at $22.1 million. It was also the sixth straight period where its cash from operations was positive. These are all important considerations for a growing business because not only does strong cash flow minimize the need to make frequent share issues (which dilute shareholders), but it can also help a company expand and take on mergers and acquisitions. This year, Green Thumb closed three acquisitions, which helped it expand its operations in Massachusetts while also giving it a way to enter Virginia and Rhode Island.
Green Thumb is approaching a revenue run rate of $1 billion per year, and with an impressive bottom line, it's easily one of the best MSOs to invest in right now.
2. Facebook
Social media company Facebook is another business that investors don't have to worry about over the long term. Even though there are usually no shortage of issues and controversy surrounding the company, its underlying business is sound.
The latest bad press involves anti-vax content on its platform and an investigation by the Wall Street Journal that found that using Facebook often made people angrier due to the content, suggesting that its algorithm needs work. Instagram, the photo-sharing app, was called also "toxic" for teen girls, the report stated.
But for companies that distribute content, that's always going to be a concern. Twitter and Alphabet's YouTube are a couple of examples of other social media sites where there's no shortage of questionable content. Even news sites aren't immune to the controversy. An article in The New York Times recently criticized media companies for "missing white woman syndrome," which came to the surface in the recent disappearance of Gabrielle Petito and all the publicity it garnered in comparison to nonwhite women who go missing.
For any business where news or user-shared content plays an important role, there will always be a fine line between too much policing, which will lead to cries of censorship, and not enough, which will suggest the business doesn't care. That's why I'm not overly concerned with the negativity surrounding Facebook, because it is going to be a continuing battle to find the right balance that keeps users on its platform while also not imposing too many restrictions on them.
Ultimately, the proof will be in the numbers if users are leaving the platform. And judging from Facebook's second-quarter results, that doesn't appear to be a worry; for the period ending June 30, its monthly active users (MAU) totaled 2.9 billion, which was a year-over-year increase of 7%. And that's after a strong Q2 a year ago, when people were stuck indoors, and the MAU was 2.7 billion and rose by 12%.
Despite the bad press, the company is clearly doing something right in attracting users to its platform. And with no real competition out there that offers a similar service (Google+ tried and failed miserably), Facebook is in solid shape. With profit margins of more than 35% and advertising revenue of $28.6 billion soaring 56% this past quarter and showing strong signs of recovery from a year ago, this remains a solid business to invest in for the long term.
