The stock market's first half of 2022 has been nothing to write home to Mom about -- many stocks are significantly off their highs as investors have become risk averse amid rising inflation, interest rates, and uncertainty.
But this could be an opportunity to scoop up shares of excellent stocks at bargain prices. What follows are my top five stocks to buy in this volatile market.
Walt Disney
Surprisingly, Walt Disney's (DIS -0.59%) stock is down considerably off its highs in 2022. I say surprisingly because it's benefiting from pent-up demand as economies reopen. Folks are flocking to its theme parks, hotels, and cruise ships. Indeed, the segment that includes the theme parks reported revenue in its most recent quarter that was more than double that of the same quarter in the previous year.
DIS PS Ratio data by YCharts
That trend will likely continue as consumers shift their spending habits in favor of away-from-home experiences. Meanwhile, Disney is trading at a price-to-sales ratio of 2.3, which is near the lowest it has sold for in the past five years.
Airbnb
Airbnb (ABNB -1.18%) is similar to Disney because it benefits from the economic reopening. Folks delayed vacations during the initial stages of the pandemic. Spending on hotels and resorts cratered from $1.5 trillion in 2019 to $610 billion in 2020. Now that billions of folks have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the willingness to travel is increasing. Hotel and resorts spending rebounded to $950 billion in 2021 and is likely increasing in 2022.
ABNB Price to Free Cash Flow data by YCharts
Airbnb's revenue in its most recent quarter was already 80% above the comparable quarter in 2019 before the outbreak, even though overall travel spending is yet to recover completely. That's an excellent sign for the vacation rental website's prospects over the next several years as travel spending moves back to pre-pandemic levels.
And at a price-to-free-cash-flow of about 22, Airbnb stock is relatively inexpensive, too.
Chegg
Chegg (CHGG 2.85%) is an education technology company with a competitive advantage. It owns 79 million pieces of proprietary content that it has spent years accumulating. The company serves college students with a subscription to its platform.
Unfortunately, Chegg faces headwinds from a robust job market that is attracting students away from college. The headwinds and the broader market sell-off have left Chegg trading at its lowest price-to-free-cash-flow ratio in the past five years.
CHGG Price to Free Cash Flow data by YCharts
Regardless, Chegg has grown revenue from $213 million to $776 million in the past decade. College enrollment is likely to recover eventually, making Chegg a bargain stock to buy now.
Netflix
Netflix (NFLX -8.45%) thrived at the onset of the pandemic as demand for in-home entertainment exploded. That trend is reversing now. Folks are more comfortable leaving their homes after billions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered. That headwind along with rising competition have caused Netflix's stock to crash.
NFLX PE Ratio data by YCharts
Yet, that has arguably been an overreaction by the market. The company has grown its operating income from $380 million to $6.2 billion over the past five years. Netflix is the pioneer of the streaming content industry, which has structural advantages over traditional viewing methods like cable. Netflix is likely to be one of the overall winners of the streaming wars.
And right now, investors can buy Netflix stock at a low price-to-earnings of 17.
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms (META -2.83%), formerly known as Facebook, is grappling with its own headwinds. Significant changes to a smartphone manufacturer's privacy policy is hurting Meta's ability to sell targeted advertising. The feature is what the company has relied upon to grow revenue from $55.8 billion to $117.9 billion from 2018 to 2021.
META PE Ratio data by YCharts
Like with Netflix, however, investors are arguably overreacting to the bad news, and Meta Platforms can be purchased at its lowest valuation in years. Investors would be wise not to pass up on that opportunity.
