While the tech space may be getting hammered at the moment, this can be a great opportunity for forward-thinking investors to snatch up more shares of stocks they love while they're trading at a discount. Now, you should never invest in a company just because it's trading down and you can get it "cheap," any more than you should invest in a company solely because it's been trending upward lately.
As always, looking beyond the share price at the underlying business is how you can discern the most quality investments that will stand the test of time in your portfolio. With that, let's take a look at two fast-growing tech stocks that you may want to consider adding to your portfolio in the current market.
1. Airbnb: Look beyond a potential near-term decline in travel spending
As a platform, Airbnb (ABNB -1.04%) seems to be one designed perfectly for the modern day and age. In a time where the travel habits of many people are changing in an ever interconnected world -- and partially or fully remote work is becoming the norm rather than the exception -- Airbnb's platform is ideal to integrate into this new reality and the fast-paced demands of changing consumers.
Don't get me wrong, Airbnb is still a go-to platform for vacationers everywhere, but it's not just that. Unlike a hotel chain, where most people are typically going to book a stay of no more than several nights to a week, Airbnb as a platform is perfectly suited to any type of travel need. Whether you want to stay in the heart of New York City for a few days, book a months-long stay in the countryside of Vermont, or live out your dream of staying in a castle in the heart of Tuscany, you can do it all on Airbnb.
And people certainly are. In the most recent quarter, Airbnb reported that both gross booking value and revenue growth climbed 73% from pre-pandemic levels in the second quarter of 2019. Not only was it Airbnb's most profitable second quarter ever, but as of the end of the three-month period, the company had grown its cash position to a mouth-watering $10 billion.
Airbnb doesn't just cater to the changing needs of travelers, but it's also created an additional or primary source of income for the millions of hosts around the world who list properties on its platform. Earlier this year, the company announced that hosts on its platform had earned a staggering $150 billion since 2010. And in the company's second-quarter report, management noted that "Nights and Experiences Booked grew 24% from Q2 2019 while active listings grew 23% in the same period, demonstrating how supply growth continues to meet demand."
Airbnb's desirability as a platform for both travelers and hosts is why its business model has remained so insanely sticky, and continues to be so even as the broader travel industry's recovery has been far more gradual and cyclical. Wall Street estimates that the stock could have an upside as high as 84% over the next 12 months alone. For investors with a long-term buy-and-hold horizon, a high-growth stock like Airbnb looks as tempting as ever, even in the current environment.
2. Bumble: Investing in the multi-billion-dollar dating app industry
The online dating app market ballooned to a global valuation of $7.5 billion in 2021, and is on track to hit $12.3 billion by the year 2030, according to Grand View Research. In the nearly eight years since its inception, Bumble (BMBL 1.40%) has catapulted in growth. Besides its most well-known and fastest-growing product, the Bumble app, Bumble owns a dating app called Badoo. Together, the Bumble and Badoo apps account for more than 26% of the U.S. dating app market alone, according to a report by Business of Apps. The company also acquired the popular French dating app Fruitz earlier this year.
While the family of apps owned by Match Group (Tinder being one of the most well known of these) still accounts for the lion's share of this market, there's no denying that Bumble's ever-expanding slice of the dating app space is impressive and bodes well for its future growth. The Bumble app is the second most downloaded dating app in the U.S., and from the period starting in 2017 to early 2022, when the company held its initial public offering, the platform nearly doubled its market share, according to data from Sensor Tower.
The Bumble app revolves around the freemium concept, meaning that users can download the app for free, but are incentivized to join paid tiers like Bumble Premium to access additional benefits like unlimited swipes and advanced filters or Bumble Boost, which allows users to extend their connection time with a match. It's also worth noting that Bumble's business model is designed to tap into a broad potential user base. In addition to individuals seeking romantic connections, the app also features options like Bumble BFF if you're simply looking to make platonic friendships, and Bumble Bizz, for professional networking.
Bumble's total revenue rose 18% in the most recent quarter, while the Bumble app saw a more than 33% jump in revenue on a year-over-year basis. Total paying users across all Bumble's platforms increased from 2.9 million in the year-ago period to 3 million at the end of the second quarter of this year, while average revenue per paying user popped 13% year over year. Bumble also reported adjusted EBITDA of $54.8 million for the three-month period. And while the company isn't yet profitable on a GAAP basis, it narrowed its net loss to $6.4 million, compared to $11.1 million in the year-ago period.
Bumble is trading down about 70% since its IPO, and has largely followed the downward trend afflicting many tech-oriented stocks at the moment. Even so, Wall Street analysts think the stock could have an upside of more than 72%. Given the company's continued, rapid growth, its ever-improving balance sheet, and the consistent demand it faces, more risk-tolerant investors might consider taking a position in Bumble for its long-term growth potential.
