If you're looking to do some Christmas shopping on stocks, there are some incredibly good deals out there right now. The market isn't crashing, but some stocks have been struggling of late that you likely won't regret adding to your portfolio today if you're a long-term investor.
Shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ 0.77%), DocuSign (DOCU 1.56%), and Beyond Meat (BYND -1.46%) haven't been this cheap in months. And all these businesses have the potential to generate some strong growth numbers in the months and years ahead, which could mean great returns for you.
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1. Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Healthcare company Jazz Pharmaceuticals is trading around its 52-week low, down 25% year to date even as the S&P 500 is up 22%. In February, the company announced it was acquiring GW Pharmaceuticals, which makes Epidiolex, a cannabis-based drug that treats seizures. Softness in the cannabis market (due to a disappointing pace in legalization) may in part be affecting the shares.
Yet, the company still has promise. Jazz reported its latest quarterly results in November, and revenue rose 39% year over year to $838 million. Over half of that came from products that were either new or just acquired, such as Epidiolex. Its sales rose a robust 21% despite investor concerns.
In fact, Epidiolex is what makes Jazz a promising buy here as the company is looking at new indications for it; plus, it is rolling out Epidiolex to new countries in Europe. Both moves could bolster the drug's sales over the long term.
Prospects for long-term profitability also look strong. The company has generated impressive gross margins of 82% or better in each of the past four quarters. Although its bottom line has fallen into the red after the acquisition of GW Pharma, that's not where investors should expect the company to stay. Jazz could be a steal of a deal right now.
2. DocuSign
Anytime a stock falls more than 40% in a single day, it's worth asking whether the market overreacted. That's what looks to have happened with DocuSign. The company beat expectations when it reported third-quarter results last week. Sales for the period ended Oct. 31 soared 42% year over year to $545.5 million. The company also regularly boasts a gross profit of close to 80%.
Yet, that wasn't enough for investors. A sell-off ensued as the tech company provided fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $557 million to $563 million -- and that fell well shy of the $574 million that analysts were expecting. While the estimate is below analysts' figures, that hardly seems to be a reason to warrant such an incredible drop in price.
Unfortunately, in the era of meme stocks, where companies with questionable growth prospects such as AMC Entertainment can skyrocket over 1,000% -- mainly on hype from retail investors -- high-quality businesses like DocuSign can also fall drastically without a good reason. Such a steep sell-off due to one quarter's guidance is the epitome of short-term thinking.
DocuSign will likely see demand subside a bit as people return to the office and are no longer relying as much on digital signatures. However, that doesn't mean its growth is over. Analysts from Fortune Business Insights project that the global digital signature market will grow at a compound annual rate of 28.9% through 2027.
So despite the bearishness, the sky isn't falling for DocuSign, and it looks like it could be a bargain buy right now. Although the stock has bounced up from the lows it hit last week, it's still around levels not seen since June 2020.
3. Beyond Meat
Another stock that has struggled after releasing earnings is Beyond Meat. At just over $70, the stock is trading near its 52-week lows, having fallen 43% this year. It's not a huge surprise given that the company has an unfortunate trend of missing earnings expectations. Yet, Beyond Meat is a great recovery stock to own as economies see a return to normal and COVID-19 no longer impacts demand for its products or disrupts the supply chain.
In 2019, the company's sales of $298 million were more than triple the $88 million it reported in 2018. And in 2020, sales rose further to $407 million but at a much lower growth rate of 37%. For the latest quarter ended Oct. 2, net revenue increased just 13% to $106 million -- and in the U.S. market, sales were actually down 14%. It was the company's international operations that kept the overall numbers in the green (rising by an impressive 143%).
However, the company's performance should improve with a return to normalcy. In addition, Beyond Meat has new products and deals that could propel it to even greater heights than before. It is supplying fast-food giant McDonald's with the patty for its McPlant burger, which could be a boon for the business if it proves to be successful. Plus, it has a joint venture with soft-drink maker PepsiCo to develop new products. Beyond Meat also recently launched meatless chicken tenders.
Things may look grim in the short term for Beyond Meat, but there are many catalysts out there that could make its stock price today look incredibly cheap in a year or two.
