This will be a dangerous article. That said, I have faith that you will handle this the same way you should process all investing advice: Take it in, consider whether it is the right idea for your situation, and make a decision that is best for you.
Because what I'm suggesting will likely be ridiculed by my colleagues. And to further lay the groundwork and build the tension, my idea could be characterized as irresponsible and contrary to the Foolish ideal.
OK, enough preamble. My advice right now is to throw the Hail Mary.
The what?
If you're a growth investor, your stocks are probably down quite a bit recently. If you're not, here are the statistics. The Nasdaq100 (NASDAQ:QQQQ) is down 10% since May; growth stalwarts such as eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) are off 18% and 19%, respectively; and the more speculative XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR) is down a whopping 30%.
If you own any of these shares, you might be feeling a bit antsy to get back ahead, to climb out of that hole, to get back a huge chunk of yardage in one risky but potentially game-changing moment. And I don't blame you.
The scorecard for The Motley Fool's Rule Breakers newsletter service -- of which XM is a part -- has been thrashed, pummeled, and otherwise abused recently. The total returns for the stocks on the scorecard are, on average, actually trailing the S&P 500 benchmark after a happy and healthy spell in which it had a lead of more than 20 percentage points over the S&P. While times now seem dour, for investors with a longer investing time horizon and some free money -- but please don't bet the mortgage here -- that's terrific news.
Bring in the big gun
iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) is one of the Hail Mary possibilities I like most at the moment. The company manufactures and sells consumer and military robots. Its Roomba, a portable robotic vacuum cleaner, and Scooba, a robotic floor mop, are gaining mainstream awareness and acceptance. iRobot also produces the PackBot military robot used by the U.S. Army for battlefield reconnaissance and bomb disposal, and the company has picked up several significant government contracts lately. And for that, iRobot is down more than 40% in share value since it was recommended in the January 2006 issue of Rule Breakers.
While the market's perception of iRobot has changed, have the company's growth prospects? Our team of Rule Breakers analysts doesn't think so.
Time to go deep!
This is to say that the market downturn is offering us a lot of opportunities for investors who want to turn around their recent fortunes in a big way. But be warned: The deep route is fraught with considerably more peril than a quick out or a screen pass. Even after its recent plunge, iRobot still trades for 90 times earnings -- and a broad economic slowdown could further sink the stock in the near term. But with greater risk come greater rewards.
Investors in iRobot at today's price would see their stake nearly double in value if the stock can simply return to the price at which our Rule Breakers team first called it a "buy."
The Foolish bottom line
The Rule Breakers team scours the market for companies that have huge growth opportunities in front of them. iRobot fits that profile, as do the more than 40 other recommendations on the scorecard. To view all of the picks right now, give Rule Breakers a try for 30 days, free of charge. Follow this link for more information.
Granted, this isn't a true Hail Mary situation. It's certainly not all-or-nothing for iRobot and these other companies. We could see years of reasonable growth, or they could tread water. But a turnaround could get you right back in the game in a heartbeat.
Is it safe? Nah. Is it wise? Maybe. Is now an amazing time to buy some great, groundbreaking, life-changing companies at deep discounts? Hell, yeah! Throw the ball.
Roger Friedman is the managing editor of newsletters and the author of Nipple Confusion, Uncoordinated Pooping and Spittle: The Life of a Newborn's Father . Roger owns shares of iRobot. eBay and Amazon are Stock Advisor choices. The Motley Fool isinvestors writing for investors.
