If you want some back-to-school bargains, you don't need to hit the dollar store or your favorite thrift shop. Wall Street also offers plenty of deals.
I've been singling out attractive stocks trading in the single digits, dating back to my original "5 Stocks Under $10" column more than seven years ago.
Is it risky? You bet. Stocks aren't unloved by accident. Some companies have fallen hard. Other stocks deserve to remain undiscovered.
Let's go over this month's list.
Internet Brands
Poor Internet Brands. Its IPO last year was either unfashionably late to the dot-com boom or sorely misunderstood by jaded investors. Trading for less than last year's $8 a share in the IPO, the company owns 200 high-traffic websites in big-ticket consumer decision areas like automotive (Autos.com and CarsDirect), travel (Cruisemates, VacationHomes.com), and real estate (Loan.com, RealEstateABC).
Naturally, the automotive slowdown has put a dent in the company's business. The lending and realty collapses also haven't been pretty. But you wouldn't know it from eyeing the company's fiscal performance. Internet Brands posted respectable second-quarter results earlier this month. Revenue was 18% higher, and adjusted EBITDA grew by 20%. It attracted 37.3 million unique visitors in June, serving up 620.4 million pages.
The shares may not seem cheap at 25 times this year's earnings, but keep in mind that being profitable in this tricky climate is an achievement in itself. Once Internet Brands' specialty areas come back into favor, the company should deliver some huge gains. Now is your chance to get in at a lower price than last year's IPO investors.
Alvarion
The concept of canvassing large areas with wireless connectivity is a hot one these days. Whether we're talking about subsidized metropolitan projects or finally delivering access to underdeveloped countries, WiMAX is a big deal. Alvarion is a leader in WiMAX routers, with broadband signals that can offer access for miles instead of mere feet.
The Motley Fool Rule Breakers newsletter service recommended Alvarion at $5.87 a share five months ago. Shares have inched higher since then, but there's obviously plenty of room to run. The company is growing quickly and trading at just 17 times next year's projected profitability.
Morton's Restaurant Group
Upscale steakhouses have come crashing down like a 48-ounce porterhouse on a flimsy paper plate. Morton's of Chicago's parent -- as well as Ruth's Chris' Ruth's Hospitality
The restaurant industry is having a hard time coping with rising food costs and diminishing discretionary income. Tough times also hit the high-end chophouses, as corporate power lunches and taking prized clients out to ritzy meals become harder to justify.
That's OK because it means cheaper choice cuts for you and me. Morton's is fetching an earnings multiple in the low teens. It is also doing a pretty cool makeover with its bars. The stuffy watering holes where carnivores hung out until their tables were ready are evolving into a snazzier, more accessible bar concept. Give Morton's time. It's a rare opportunity to buy a well-done operator.
Sirius XM Radio
I've shown the satellite radio operator some single-digit loving in the past, but now it makes the cut with a new name after pulling off its merger with rival XM.
The challenges are real, but so are the synergies. Sirius XM now watches over nearly 19 million premium radio subscribers. On its own, Sirius was able to occasionally report positive operating cash flow for a quarter. Give the company a few quarters to hash out its cost savings, refresh its cross-promotional programming opportunities, and really live up to expectations for a change.
RealNetworks
When will RealNetworks realize its potential? The company always seems to be in the right place. Its Rhapsody music subscription service was a pioneer in digital music. The company's RealPlayer created the media streaming category 13 years ago. Its RealArcade was serving up casual games online before online gaming was cool.
The rub is that RealNetworks has never been able to put it all together and deliver chunky profitability. It may have beaten companies like Apple
Its balance sheet is flush with nearly $3 a share in cash after the company paid off most of its convertible debt last month. That is enough of a cushion to buy patient investors time until RealNetworks finally is able to make it all come together.
Five for the road
Turnarounds never happen overnight. These five stocks aren't trading in the single digits by accident. If I'm right about the catalysts, though, they may not be trading in the single digits for too much longer.
Finding promising stocks while they're still cutting their baby teeth is at the heart of the Rule Breakers newsletter. You can check it out for free with a 30-day trial. There are more than a half-dozen active stock recommendations in the growth stock research service trading for less than $10 at the moment, including Alvarion. Check those out, and I'll be back with more next month.
