You probably don't need any more proof that the market's down than simply looking at the wild swings your portfolio has taken. Mine shows that blue chips are down, small caps are down, and growth stocks are all over the place.
The S&P 500 is currently down about 2% from its highs in May, and 29 of its constituent companies are trading at their lowest price-to-earnings (P/E) multiples in five years. These include well-known firms such as Juniper Networks, JPMorgan Chase
Growth alert
It's well-documented that many value investors are getting excited about this large-cap sale, but it's not just blue chips that value investors should be hunting for. Growth stocks, too, have been pummeled over the past couple of months. You remember growth stocks, right? They're the small, high-on-potential firms like Illumina
Now, while the Russell 2000 Growth Index has been great, the team at Motley Fool Rule Breakers is even more excited about some of its individual constituents. And given the market's recent downturn, a few of them are now available for 50% off. And that's in spite of the fact that when it comes to their businesses, very little has changed.
Find the best with the most
One of the Russell 2000 Growth Index's holdings is Rule Breakers-recommended EncysivePharmaceuticals. The company makes a new drug called Thelin, which has vast potential in the pulmonary arterial hypertension market. Although there are other drugs that treat this, Thelin has the ability to gain huge market share due to its dosing advantages, safety, and efficacy in treating the disease.
The potential for Encysive to be the best in its class in the world of pharmaceuticals is what led Charly Travers to recommend the stock to Rule Breakers members. As Charly said, "Encysive didn't invent the mousetrap, it built a better one."
That's Encysive's huge potential -- and it remains unchanged. The market, however, has reacted to news of a delay in the launch. Apparently, the FDA still sees a remaining issue. Although that delay could be problematic if Encysive is required to conduct new clinical trials, the CEO has stated that he believes it can be resolved without "new data collection or new analyses" (read Brian Lawler's in-depth analysis of Encysive's situation here). And although the U.S. launch is facing delay, a few days ago Encysive received authorization to sell Thelin in all 25 countries of the European Union -- what Charly had previously called a "big value-driving event."
The uncertainty surrounding Thelin has caused Encysive to trade 60% below where it was in March. And yes, there are risks. But are you willing to pass on that much potential at 60% off? If you say yes, I'll gladly take those shares (and in fact, I already have).
A breaking opportunity
Encysive's not the only Rule Breakers recommendation that's seen its price slashed in recent months, even as the growth stories remain intact. If you'd like to see what other great growth companies Fool co-founder David Gardner and his team are recommending, consider a free trial to Rule Breakers. You'll have access to all of the picks and research without any obligation to subscribe.
Sales aren't just for large caps. You can also get great growth potential for a low, low price. Follow the link for more information.
This article was originally published on July 31, 2006. It has been updated.
Fool sector head Shruti Basavaraj owns shares of Encysive. JPMorgan and Dow Chemical are Income Investor picks. The Fool'sdisclosure policyisn't for sale ... it's free.
