It was a little over 13 years ago that the S&P 500 hit a market low on March 6, 2009, after which it reversed course and went on a tear. The bull run saw it rise 420%, for a compounded growth rate of 13.8% a year, turning $1,000 into a total return of over $4,360 today.
That's not bad for doing nothing more than buying an index fund and going to sleep for more than a decade, but there are stocks on the market that promise to generate those kinds of returns in just one year.
It's not always advisable to swing for the fences, because even Babe Ruth would strike out more often than he hit home runs. But you can vastly improve your odds of connecting with the ball by focusing on companies with solid sales and earnings growth. Wall Street thinks the three stocks below have some of the best chances for touching all the bases.
Image source: Getty Images.
a.k.a Brands
Retailers like e-commerce play a.k.a Brands (AKA -3.29%) got a boost from the reopened economy early last year. However, the persistence of COVID-19 variants took a toll on its initial public offering in September, which saw it price its shares at $11 each, or the low end of its expected valuation.
After peaking at over $15 a share, a.k.a Brands was tossed into the discount bin. Today the stock goes for just $4 a share, an excellent opportunity for investors who believe this online retailer is just getting started.
The digitally native, direct-to-consumer retailer targets Gen Z and millennial consumers through four distinct brands: Culture Kings, Princess Polly, Petal & Pup, and Rebdolls. It seeks to remain relevant and on trend by acquiring founder-led small businesses also targeting these demographics.
Adjusted sales to account for the acquisition of Culture Kings last year were up 59% from 2020, to $562 million. Management is guiding to full-year revenue of between $785 million and $805 million, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of between $90 million and $100 million.
Wall Street forecasts that profits will grow at a compounded rate of 57% annually for the next five years, and believes this stock can rise as high as $20 per share within the next year for a 400% increase. With dozens of potential brand acquisitions available, there's a lot of runway for future growth with a.k.a Brands.
Image source: Carvana.
Carvana
Carvana (CVNA 0.29%) put a different spin on the car buying process. It's an e-commerce-focused used car operation featuring some 70,000 vehicles that can be delivered directly to your door as soon as the following day. You can also pick one up at one of its 32 "car vending machines" across the U.S. Carvana offers financing and a seven-day return policy. Consumers can also sell their vehicles to Carvana, and it recently acquired a vehicle auction company to offer a broader selection of vehicles.
Shares of Carvana have been wrecked by the ongoing supply chain issues affecting the auto industry. Because there's been a dearth of new cars hitting showroom floors due to the critical shortage of computer chips, used car demand has soared even as people have held onto their existing vehicles longer, driving used car prices higher.
While that's been beneficial for Carvana's profit margins, it also means it has had difficulty acquiring new inventory. While it recorded its 32nd consecutive quarter of higher unit sales, it warned in its fourth-quarter earnings report that the first quarter would prove difficult because of supply chain challenges. Even so, it expects full-year car sales of over 550,000 vehicles -- yet another year of growth.
With the stock down 73% to $101 per share, even as analysts have muted their price targets, the consensus is that Carvana can still double over the next year and can rise as high as $470 a share, a 365% increase.
Image source: Getty Images.
Fiverr
Add freelancing marketplace operator Fiverr (FVRR -0.96%) to the list of former high-flying companies that have seen their shares beaten back, but which Wall Street believes still have significant growth potential.
Fiverr got a big boost during the lockdown phase of the pandemic as people struck out on their own in the gig economy. Its technology platform connects freelancers with people and companies who need their services, rather than going through an agency or looking for someone through a social media listing. Sellers present their services as gigs, or packages with set prices for their work, providing surety to the buyer.
That also makes the purchase process easy and straightforward, and it's one of the reasons Fiverr has demonstrated explosive success. It puts the company in a great position to profit from this growing trend. Yet it's also why the stock is down 75% from its high -- because the market anticipates the meteoric growth it witnessed will slow with the economy reopened.
That hasn't exactly panned out. Last year's revenue was up 57% from a year ago and is 178% more than in 2019, suggesting buyers and sellers on the marketplace aren't abandoning Fiverr.
Wall Street still sees tremendous upside, with the stock potentially rising from under $64 a share today to $280, a 339% one-year gain.