It can be a scary time for growth stock investors right now. Some of the most popular (and most promising) growth stocks seem to rise and fall by 5% or more every day, and many are 40%, 50%, or more off their highs.
To be sure, some of the beaten-down growth stocks are lower for a reason. But with others, the recent downturn can be a great opportunity to search for long-term bargains. With that in mind, here are two stocks that look especially appealing at the current prices.
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An e-commerce leader with massive potential
Since reaching a share price of more than $300 in November, handmade and unique item marketplace Etsy (ETSY -0.19%) has seen its share price cut in half, despite posting strong results throughout its business.
Over the past couple of years, the number of active buyers and sellers on Etsy's platform have both more than doubled, and the number of frequent buyers has more than tripled. And while some of the growth was certainly helped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers continue to trend in the right direction. For example, Etsy's fourth-quarter merchandise volume was an all-time record for the company, and the average active buyer spent 16% more than in the fourth quarter of 2020.
Etsy has done a great job of adding value to its namesake platform with things like advanced advertising options and free shipping availability. It has also made several strategic acquisitions that should broaden its user base even further and grow its addressable market opportunity.
And finally, speaking of Etsy's addressable market, the company has an estimated $466 billion total addressable market opportunity from online retail sales in its seven core markets around the world, and it has captured less than 3% of that so far.
A profitable social media company with many ways to grow
With shares more than 70% below their 52-week high, Pinterest (PINS 0.02%) is looking like an absolute steal right now.
To be sure, there are some valid reasons for Pinterest's pullback. Specifically, user growth (or lack thereof) is a legitimate concern right now. In the fourth quarter of 2021, Pinterest's active user base actually declined by 6% year over year. In simple terms, with fewer COVID-19 restrictions, people have less time to browse ideas online than they did a year ago.
However, the slump in user growth should be temporary, and the company is doing a fantastic job of monetizing its user base. Pinterest's average revenue per user grew by 23% over the past year, and in the international user base (where 80% of users are), the increase was a staggering 62%. Pinterest's revenue per user is still a small fraction of other leading social media platforms, and there's still a big gap between international and domestic monetization, so the company could multiply its revenue several times over even without user growth.
Be prepared for a wild ride, at least for now
It's important to emphasize that I have absolutely no idea what these stocks will do over the next couple of months, or even for the rest of the year. There are simply too many variables, such as inflation, interest rates, and the Ukraine situation, that could put pressure on these and other stocks in the near term. But I'm confident that these are two great businesses that could generate strong returns for investors who measure their returns in five-year periods or more, so if you invest, do so with that in mind.
