Many investors get into trading stocks with the desire to find top stocks to buy into early in their growth cycle. That's not so easy to do these days when many stocks get hyped before they even reach the open markets and end up trading at high prices by the time you feel comfortable adding them to your portfolio.
Still, there are occasional hidden gems in the market that are quietly gaining in growth and recognition, with shares still trading at relatively low prices. Global-e Online (GLBE -1.18%), Revolve Group (RVLV 1.07%), and Offerpad Solutions (OPAD 7.28%) are three stocks trading below $100 a share that are demonstrating show-stopping growth. Let's find out a bit more about them.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Global-e Online: It's a small world after all
Global-e Online offers cross-border payment solutions for online retailers. As more and more e-commerce companies expand into new markets and begin to offer international shipping, they begin to discover that there are challenges to making the process cost-effective and worth the investment.
Global-e comes in to make the process easy, offering features that efficiently manage shipping options, local currencies, calculating customs, and international returns. It has two programs, one for small businesses and one for larger-volume clients, as well as a program with Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) to assist the thousands of sellers using Facebook Marketplace.
It works with some of the biggest online retailers in the world, including the biggest, French luxury conglomerate LVMH, as well as brands like cosmetic-giant Sephora Asia and French fashion house Givenchy. It also has strong exposure from its partnership with e-commerce master Shopify, through which it powers international commerce with many small and medium-sized brands operating through Shopify services.
The company is ramping up its operations exponentially. In the third quarter, gross merchandise volume (GMV) grew 86% year over year to a record $352 million, and revenue increased 77% to a record $59 million. That was particularly impressive as e-commerce has begun to modulate after COVID-19 restrictions eased. Gross profit grew 127% year over year to $2 million, although Globel-e posted a $28.5 million loss after a $1.2 million profit last year. Much of the loss was related to increased expenses of scaling up operations specifically related to its Shopify integration.
Global-e stock went public in May at $25 a share and is up 111% since then. It's not exactly cheap, trading at 43 times trailing-12-month sales, but shares cost $53 as of this writing. It's still a tiny company, with just over $200 million in trailing-12-month earnings. Investors can expect a lot from this high-growth company in the future.
2. Revolve Group: Not your typical fashion company
At first glance, Revolve Group's website doesn't look different than most other fashion-forward websites. But there's a reason this online fashion retailer that focuses on selling dresses and other apparel for social events is growing by leaps and bounds. That reason involves the underlying infrastructure that's supporting the company's operations. That infrastructure includes 18 years' worth of data supplying its technology-backed artificial intelligence, a modern approach to e-commerce that includes partnerships with influencers and thousands of brands that appeal to its Gen X target consumer.
Third-quarter sales increased 62% year over year to $244 million, an acceleration from the second quarter. Net income decreased 14% year over year as the company scales, but posting a profit is a great sign from a growth company.
International sales made up 19% of the total, which is an unusually high number. Its technology supports international sales, and that opens up its addressable market.
Revolve Group stock is up 160% year to date and shares trade at 66 times trailing-12-month earnings at a current price of $81 a share. But that price won't last long as investors scoop up shares of this high-growth stock.
Image source: Getty Images.
3. Offerpad: Chasing a $1.9 trillion market opportunity
Offerpad wants to buy your house for cash before you list it with a Realtor. Then it wants to renovate and flip it, making money in the process. It's a model called ibuying and it's becoming more popular and may soon become the standard in the U.S. real estate market.
The company's management sees a massive $1.9 trillion opportunity in the housing market, of which only 1% is now online. It has a $1 trillion market in what it calls the "buy box today" market, which are U.S. homes for sale that cost up to $750,000.
Many readers know that Zillow Group just bowed out of this market, but it's not clear that there's something wrong with the market or just something wrong with Zillow's ibuying operations. Competitors like Offerpad and Opendoor Technologies are posting high growth, and while investors should do their own research, they shouldn't be scared off from the industry.
In the third quarter, Offerpad revenue increased 190% year over year to $540 million, and gross profit increased 160% to $53 million. The company sold 1,673 homes, or more than double year over year, and raised its outlook to a midpoint of $1.88 billion in total 2021 sales. Net loss for the quarter expanded from $3 million in 2020 to $15 million in 2021.
Offerpad stock went public almost a year ago, and shares are down 34.5% year to date, trading around $7.20 a share as of this writing. There's risk involved in investing in this company since it deals with a capital-intensive model, losses are widening, and ibuying hasn't been proven to be a secure business yet. But at this price and with its current growth rates, Offerpad might be a stock to consider for your portfolio.
