“Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.”
Of all of investing legend Warren Buffett’s memorable quotes, that’s probably his most famous.
But it’s a lot easier said than done.
When stocks are soaring, everyone wants a piece of the action. Meanwhile, the down-and-out stocks rarely get a second look.
After the market rebounded from the COVID-induced sell-off in 2020, several tech stocks shot through the roof. The momentum seemed unstoppable.
But now, quite a few of those fast-growth names are at 52-week lows.
Here are three of them. If you believe in their long-term potential, you might want to pounce sooner rather than later.
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PayPal (PYPL)
As one of the pioneers — and leaders — in the digital payment industry, PayPal has already delivered solid returns to long-term investors. From 2018 to 2020, the stock skyrocketed by nearly 200%.
But this former high-flyer is no longer a market darling. Since peaking at $310 last summer, the stock has fallen by more than 70%.
The business, though, continues to grow.
In Q1 of 2022, PayPal’s total payment volume increased 13% year over year to $323.0 billion. Revenue rose 7% year over year to $6.5 billion.
Considering that PayPal is already one of the most established players in the industry — it serves over 400 million customers and merchants in more than 200 markets — those growth figures are particularly impressive.
The customer base is getting bigger, too. During the quarter, the company added 2.4 million new active accounts.
On Apr. 28, BMO Capital Markets reiterated an outperform rating on PayPal and set a price target of $114. With the shares currently trading at $80.50, BMO’s target implies upside potential of 82%.
Roku (ROKU)
The secular trend of on-demand video streaming has created several winners in the tech space.
Roku is one of them. Since going public in September 2017, the stock has returned more than 250%.
The company’s platform gives users access to streaming services such as Youtube, Netflix and Disney+. Roku also offers its own ad-supported channels featuring licensed third-party content.
The company added 8.9 million active accounts in 2021, bringing its total active accounts to 60.1 million. Revenue rose 55% for the year to $2.8 billion.
Although Roku’s business is moving in the right direction, investors have been bailing in rapid fashion. The stock is down a staggering 72% over the past 12 months.
Some investors might be concerned about the company’s bigger competitors.
Netflix had 221.6 million paying subscribers at the end of March while the worldwide subscriber count at Disney+ stood at 137.7 million.
But not everyone on Wall Street is giving up on Roku. JPMorgan, for instance, has an overweight rating on the company and a price target of $175 — more than 86% higher than where the stock sits today.
DocuSign (DOCU)
Rounding out our list is DocuSign, a company known for its eSignature solution that allows different parties to securely sign agreements without having to be in the same room.
DocuSign’s remote business offerings have naturally come in handy over the past two pandemic-stricken years.
On Jan. 31, 2020, it had 589,000 customers. Fast forward two years, it had 1.17 million customers worldwide.
Financials have improved substantially as well.
In fiscal Q4, DocuSign’s revenue rose 35% year over year to $580.8 million, driven by a 37% increase in subscription revenue. The bottom line also improved, with the company’s adjusted EPS rising from $0.37 to $0.48.
Despite that strong growth, the shares have tumbled by more than 60% over the past year. But contrarian investors might want to take notice.
While DocuSign is far from a market favorite right now, several institutions remain bullish on the stock. For instance, RBC Capital Markets has an outperform rating on the company and a price target of $135 — about 78% higher than current levels.
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