2022 has been an interesting year for the stock market. In the first two and a half months, the S&P 500 index was down about 13% from its 52-week high. In recent weeks, though, it's been a completely different story, with the S&P 500 rallying about 10% from lows hit in early March.
Despite this, many stocks are still trading far below their 52-week highs, which could be a good buying opportunity for investors to grab solid companies trading at a discount partly because they got caught up in the broader sell-off. Four no-brainer stocks you can buy today are Marqeta (MQ -2.72%), Upstart Holdings (UPST -1.25%), Goosehead Insurance (GSHD -11.69%), and T. Rowe Price (TROW -2.01%). Let's find out a bit more about these four stocks.
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1. Marqeta: Down 69% from its 52-week high
The pandemic shifted our lives in many ways. One notable shift was how digital our lives have become, including how we pay for things. This shift is what gives Marqeta momentum. Marqeta specializes in creating payment products for companies using its modern card-issuing platform -- helping them keep up in the digital age.
The company creates physical and digital card payment solutions for companies looking to keep up in the increasingly digital world or enable newer companies to rethink the ways payments are made.
This expertise is why Marqeta has partnered with several major companies for its payment solutions, including Goldman Sachs, Alphabet, DoorDash, Uber, and Affirm. Marqeta makes money on a per-transaction basis -- a similar revenue model to Visa and Mastercard. It also extends usage-based discounts to those long-term clients to encourage them to use the products even more.
The company's growth has been stellar. Since 2017, the company's total processed volume has increased by a factor of 50. This growth kept up last year as Marqeta's total processed volume grew 85% to $111 billion, helping drive stellar revenue growth of 78% to $517 million. However, the company did post a net loss of $164 million last year, largely related to an increase in share-based compensation.
Despite these losses, Marqeta's growing network and revenue have me optimistic about that company's long-term growth trajectory, which could be a bargain at its current price of just under $12 per share.
2. Upstart: Down 71% from its 52-week high
Upstart Holdings is a fintech looking to change how consumer lending is done. The company wants to make lending accessible to everyone, including those who aren't considered credit-worthy by traditional credit scores. The way it does this is by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to make personal loans.
Upstart connects prospective borrowers with banking partners that make and hold those loans. Upstart receives a referral fee and platform fee in return from its partners. Last year, nearly 70% of Upstart's loans were fully automated.
The company is rapidly growing, and last year its transaction volume grew 241% to $11.7 billion. This volume propelled stellar growth, with revenue up 264% from the year before to $849 million. Net income grew from $6 million in 2020 to $135 million last year.
Investors are optimistic about the lender for a good reason. For one, it is growing rapidly, seeing transaction volume explode, driving growth in the top and bottom line. The company is already profitable and has been since going public -- an impressive feat.
Additionally, it is expanding its reach into automotive lending. This market is seven times larger than the consumer lending market, and Upstart wants to make a splash. After increasing its dealership partners, Upstart expects to see $1.5 billion in auto financing volume in 2022 -- which could drive its next growth phase.
3. Goosehead Insurance: Down 54% from its 52-week high
Goosehead is in the business of selling insurance. The company began selling insurance from its corporate offices but expanded to franchise agreements in 2012. It saw a franchise model as the best way to drive growth and scale in the business -- which has paid off handsomely. At the end of 2021, Goosehead had nearly 1,200 franchises operating, with another 953 ready to onboard.
The company's growth has been stellar with this model. Since 2017, its corporate channel saw premiums grow at a 31% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), while its franchise channel saw premiums grow at a 56% CAGR.
While the business itself isn't the most exciting, its business model sets it up for revenue growth over the long run. When it first brings on a franchise, Goosehead receives 20% in royalties. Franchise agreements are 10 years long with two five-year renewal terms. When franchisees renew terms, Goosehead's royalties jump to 50%.
Management prefers these revenue streams because they are recurring and more predictable -- which they expect to propel long-term growth for this insurance agency. With a steady history of growth and a royalty structure that benefits it in the long run, analysts are optimistic about Goosehead, giving it 93% upside from here.
Image source: Getty Images.
4. T. Rowe Price: Down 32% from its 52-week high
T. Rowe Price is an investment advisor to individuals, mutual funds, and separately managed accounts. The investment firm has done well to continue growing its business despite facing some headwinds from the growth of passive investing.
While passive investing has hurt active managers like T. Rowe Price, it has grown its assets under management (AUM) at a 12% CAGR in the past decade. Last year, it saw $28 billion in outflows from its funds but still grew AUM by $170 billion thanks to stellar investment performance.
Investors' recent concerns come from management's guidance for 2022, where they said net flows would likely come in below its 1% to 3% growth target. However, the company believes active management could play a valuable role if inflationary pressures persist in markets, helping investors navigate a tricky investing environment.
Despite these headwinds, T. Rowe Price has done a stellar job managing its cash. Last year, the company spent $1.7 billion on dividends, another $1.1 billion on share buybacks, along with $2.5 billion to acquire Oak Hill Advisors, L.P.
Even with all this spending, the company still sits on $2 billion in cash and liquid assets. Strong cash management is a big reason T. Rowe Price has increased its dividend annually for 35 years straight, making it a member of the exclusive Dividend Aristocrats club. That, coupled with its price-to-earnings ratio of 11.8 and dividend yield of 2.9%, makes T. Rowe Price an excellent stock to add at its current price.
