Retail investor-focused trading platform Robinhood Markets actually offers some excellent insight into its users if you know where to look. For example, it keeps a running list of the most popular holdings among its users, providing some clues to what's potentially hot and what's not.
To be clear, this list doesn't necessarily mean what's popular is a good investment idea, but it can be a great starting point for the retail investor to turn over rocks and see where the real winners might be hiding. I did some rock-turning while looking through Robinhood's list recently and stumbled across two well-known stocks with market-beating potential.
Here is a household name with rebound potential and a popular transportation service that could begin delivering outsize returns for all investors, not just those trading on the Robinhood platform.
1. Walt Disney: The potential comeback story
Almost everyone worldwide knows Walt Disney (DIS -0.04%). It's the world's largest entertainment conglomerate, with hugely popular franchise brands that include Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and more. Disney might top the list for investors looking for a business they understand and that has been around for decades. Unfortunately, the stock's investment returns haven't lived up to the Disney name the past couple of years, woefully underperforming the broader market.
Disney's business was hurt during the pandemic when lockdowns shut down its parks and cruise lines, though the real culprit appears to go back a little further to the company's massive acquisition of Fox in 2019. The $71.3 billion deal helped launch the company's streaming business, Disney+, later that year.
Since then, Disney has focused on growing its streaming subscriber base, spending on content but not bringing in profits. You can see that Disney's revenue has soared to new highs, but gross profit is virtually flat with 2014-2015 levels, and free cash flow is way below where it was.
DIS Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts. TTM = trailing 12 months.
But the tide is shifting. Management began raising its streaming prices, which should start turning on the profit spigot. You can see from the chart that cash flow has already begun climbing higher, which should continue as Disney+ contributes to the bottom line. The streaming segment's operating losses have halved over the past year to $512 million for the quarter ending July 1.
Price increases will affect U.S. subscribers in October, so investors should look for operating losses to turn into profits quickly. Wall Street could begin seeing Disney's stock in a new light when that does. Robinhood investors already see the light as Disney is the No. 8 stock on the list of Top 100 holdings.
2. Uber Technologies: The rising star
Ride-sharing has changed how we travel, and Uber Technologies (UBER -0.38%) pioneered the idea. The company went public in 2019, but the stock hasn't rewarded investors the way you'd expect for a business that has impacted society like it has. To date, shares are up only 11% from their initial public offering (IPO). But investing requires patience, and the stock could soon reward those sticking with it.
Like many young companies, Uber wasn't profitable. There are many fixed costs to operate a company. Often, a business will lose money until it reaches a point where those costs level off, and profits come as revenue keeps growing. Uber has been on this journey, but the pandemic set the company back. You can see below that growth stopped for a few years, from 2020 to 2022.
UBER Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts. TTM = trailing 12 months.
Today, Uber is larger than ever, and those profits are coming; Uber has generated $1.7 billion in free cash flow over the past year. Bottom-line earnings generally follow cash flow, where investors should begin seeing some serious momentum. Analysts believe Uber's earnings per share (EPS) could grow by an average of 68% annually over the long term.
Earnings estimates call for just $0.42 per share this year, a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) of 111. However, earnings could grow so fast that the stock gets cheaper quickly. The stock's price/earnings-to-growth ratio (PEG ratio) is 1.6, which is reasonable for that growth rate, especially if you plan to hold the stock for a long time.
The company has launched additional revenue streams, including Freight and Vehicle Rental services. Uber's vast driver network can act as a distribution channel to grow new services in the future. Wall Street may appreciate the stock more as earnings growth kicks into gear. Among Robinhood users, Uber is No. 46 on the list of Top 100 holdings.
