Mega-trends are widespread forces that reshape the world. They generally appear in the wake of technological innovation, and they often have a profound and permanent impact on multiple industries. But mega-trends throughout history -- consider inventions like the combustion engine, the internet, and the smartphone -- have not only altered human life, but they also made savvy investors much wealthier.
Here are two mega-trends shaping the future, and two growth stocks that could help investors capitalize on those trends.
1. Cloudflare: Cloud computing
Cloud computing improves operational efficiency by allowing businesses to provision infrastructure and software through the internet, without the cost and complexity of maintaining those solutions in private data centers. According to Grand View Research, the cloud services market will grow at 14% annually to reach $1.6 trillion by 2030.
Many companies will benefit from that trend, but Cloudflare (NET -1.47%) is a particularly good pick because it operates the fastest cloud network and developer platform on the market, and its technology powers a significant portion of the internet. Cloudflare provides application, network, and zero-trust security services, as well as developer tools and storage solutions, and about 20% of the web relies on at least one Cloudflare service.
To be clear, free users account for a large portion of that figure, but those users still generate valuable data. Cloudflare has unparalleled insight into performance issues and security threats across the internet simply because its network supports a tremendous amount of traffic. The company is already a leader in several cloud verticals -- including content delivery network software, edge development platforms, and web application firewalls -- but its extensive threat intelligence should drive adoption of its secure access service edge (SASE), Cloudflare One.
SASE platforms blend network and zero-trust security services to protect and connect users with private applications, cloud infrastructure, and the open internet from any device or location. IT consultancy Gartner says 80% of enterprises will deploy SASE products by 2025, up from 20% in 2021. In other words, SASE is the future of corporate networking and Cloudflare is well-positioned to be a key player.
The company reported impressive financial results last year, though growth did decelerate as businesses scrutinized spending decisions more closely. Cloudflare’s customer count increased 16% to 162,000, and the average customer spent 22% more. In turn, revenue rose 49% to $975 million and the company reported a non-GAAP profit of $0.13 per diluted share, up from a non-GAAP loss of $0.05 per diluted share in the prior year.
Shares currently trade at 21.6 times sales, a discount to the three-year average of 41.9, but it's still a rich valuation. For that reason, risk-tolerant investors should buy a small position right now, then dollar-cost average into a bigger position at cheaper valuation multiples.
2. SolarEdge Technologies: Solar energy and storage
Solar energy systems have become more efficient and much less expensive over the past decade. The improving economics of solar power, coupled with the environmental concerns surrounding fossil fuels, led more residential homeowners and commercial real estate operators to deploy solar panels. But adoption is still early. The solar energy systems market is expected to grow at 15.7% annually to reach $608 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
As the leading manufacturer of solar inverters, SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG -3.93%) is one of several companies that should benefit as solar power becomes more prevalent. Solar inverters convert direct current (DC) electricity produced by solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity usable by households and businesses. SolarEdge also provides energy storage systems, electric vehicle charging solutions, and cloud-based monitoring software, but the company is best known for its power optimizers.
Power optimizers adjust current and voltage in real-time to maximize the performance of each solar panel module. So what? Energy production with traditional string inverters is limited by the performance of the weakest module; that is especially problematic in situations where rooftops are asymmetrical or a few solar panels are blocked by shade. SolarEdge power optimizers resolve those issues by maximizing the output of each module independently. They also allow more solar panels to be connected to the same inverter, and they are cheaper than microinverters from Enphase Energy.
Despite the challenging economy, SolarEdge reported solid financial results last year. Revenue rose 58% to $3.1 billion and non-GAAP earnings climbed 24% to $5.95 per diluted share. Investors have good reason to think that momentum will continue. SolarEdge is clearly on the right side of history. Governments and regulators around the world are prioritizing renewable energy initiatives, and solar power will undoubtedly see greater adoption in the coming years.
Currently, shares trade at 5.6 times sales, a discount to the three-year average of 7.7 times sales. Investors should take advantage of that opportunity and buy a small position in this growth stock.
