Do you have some idle cash on your hands that you know you won't be needing anytime soon? Why not put it to work in a way that could produce some big-time returns?
With that as the backdrop, here's a closer look at three different stocks that could turn $1,000 into $3,000 (or more) if given enough time. Notice how, in all three cases, at least some of their long-term potential from here stems from these stocks' short-term weakness. In no particular order:
1. Cava
Cava Group (CAVA 0.91%) isn't a household name. Give it time, though. It could become one in the future.
Cava is a chain of casual Mediterranean restaurants serving up flavors that aren't always easy to find but are proving increasingly popular. As of the latest count, there are just under 300 locations operating all across the United States. That's compared to just one when the company launched back in 2010, but it's less than the 1,000 stores Cava's founders are aiming to have up and running by 2032. And, with a big chunk of cash from June's public offering in hand and backed by projected sales growth of nearly 17% next year, the now-profitable company's plan is more than achievable.
NYSE: CAVA
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Underscoring this growth prospect is the menu itself.
Simply put, American consumers have graduated from their steady diet of hamburgers and tacos. They're looking for something new and healthier. Mediterranean fare offers both. Indeed, U.S. News and World Report deemed the Mediterranean diet as the Best Diet of 2023.
The chain's menu is proving particularly marketable to more affluent millennials, too, who often continue visiting their favorite restaurants even in tough times once they've fallen in love with its flavors. It's a growing piece of the U.S. grocery market as well, playing into another budding piece of Cava's business.
In many ways, Cava is now where Chipotle was back in the mid-90s and where Shake Shack was in the early 2000s. That's an exciting prospect for new investors.
2. Upstart Holdings
There was a time when credit bureaus like Equifax and TransUnion were able to fulfill their roles of assessing creditworthiness exactly as expected. As time and technology have marched on, however, so has the business. There's now a better way of figuring out whether or not a would-be borrower will be able to repay a loan. Upstart Holdings (UPST 2.97%) came up with it.
Using an artificial intelligence algorithm that considers more than 1,000 different personal data points, Upstart facilitates the approval of 44% more loans than conventional banks without any additional defaults. More than one-third of these borrowers also enjoy lower interest rates with Upstart's credit assessment process. The company is also a lending middleman of sorts.
NASDAQ: UPST
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In retrospect, the alternative credit bureau reached its critical mass at the unluckiest possible point in time -- 2021.
Consumers were quick to borrow money a couple of years ago when interest rates were at multiyear lows. Lenders were more than willing to make loans amid stimulus-spurred economic growth as well. That's largely how the Upstart name moved into the mainstream at the time, driving its stock higher as a result.
Then, inflation-driven economic headwinds started blowing. Last year's revenue was flat, and revenue through the first half of 2023 is down by more than half. Consumers neither want nor need to borrow as much in this environment.
Just bear in mind that this is a cyclical headwind. The Federal Reserve expects the United States' GDP to grow on the order of 1.5% next year before accelerating to a pace of 1.8% in 2025, buoyed by continued low unemployment and a couple of years' worth of falling interest rates.
Upstart already serves 100 different lenders, up from only 25 as of the middle of 2021. They just need more borrowers to perform credit checks on; a growing economy will provide more and more of them. In the meantime, Upstart Holdings will continue adding banks and credit unions to its customer roster, further boosting top- and bottom-line growth.
3. Walt Disney
Finally, add Walt Disney (DIS 0.81%) to your list of stocks with the potential to triple their current price.
Yes, the entertainment giant has gotten a great number of things wrong of late. For instance, while its streaming business is a smashing success in terms of customer headcount, this arm remains in the red. Its film division is benefiting from the resumption of pre-pandemic movie-going norms -- sort of. While faring better than it had been, the movie unit's hyper-reliance on splashy franchises like Star Wars and Marvel films is also being exposed.
NYSE: DIS
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In the meantime, the continued cord-cutting movement is chipping away at its television business, so much so that Disney is even interested in selling a minority stake in cable TV sports channel ESPN as a means of sharing some of its burgeoning costs, rekindling its revenue growth, and widening its distribution.
None of it is very Disney-like. That's why the stock's down nearly 60% from its early 2021 peak, reaching a nine-year low just last week.
There comes a time when things can't get any worse, however. This company and its stock may be at that point.
That's not to say any turnaround will come quickly. It took years for Walt Disney to ease into all the challenges it's now facing; it will take years to work its way out of them. But, rehired CEO Bob Iger seems to have a compelling vision for the company, starting with a restructuring that reprioritizes creativity.
This restructuring also includes simpler fiscal-minded moves, like combining its different streaming brands into a single platform and acquiring the one-third of Hulu that Disney does not yet own. The company has even confirmed that the cable version of ESPN will eventually be made available as a stand-alone streaming service, even if that launch is several years down the road.
So why not wait to buy until then? Investors should keep in mind that stocks often move in anticipation of future success or failure. If a successful revitalization is in the cards for Walt Disney beginning in 2024 or 2025, shares could easily start to rebound well before then. A bounce could be imminent, in fact.
