Many bargain growth stocks with strong fundamentals are now trading at attractive valuations. These stocks have been sold off aggressively over the last two years, and remain under-appreciated. While Wall Street is busy with artificial intelligence, these businesses have quietly been improving their financials and their profitability and efficiency these past two years. These growth stocks offer substantial upside potential with consensus price targets, yet receive little attention amidst the focus on AI-related stocks.
However, as these overhyped AI stocks start to plateau, many bargain growth stocks (like those listed below) will come into the average investor’s purview. I think that these stocks are among the most overlooked right now. Thus, now’s the time to grab one, or all, of the seven stocks below for those looking to amplify their returns.
Let’s dive into why these seven bargain growth stocks are all buys right now.
ChargePoint (CHPT)
ChargePoint (NYSE:CHPT) is one stock I’ll remain bullish on no matter the sentiment. That’s simply because the long-term upside here is tremendous.
Electric vehicles represent a small fraction of total vehicle sales, but there’s clear and significant growth potential in the future. Of course, the market recognizes this, and many EV stocks are trading at substantial premiums right now.
However, the ongoing EV boom won’t just propel the automakers. It will also provide substantial tailwinds to battery companies and charging infrastructure providers like ChargePoint. Despite favorable market conditions, the stock has stagnated around $9 per share, offering a compelling risk-reward ratio from my perspective.
Of course, there are still many negative hubbubs here, and I’ll address those. I acknowledge the company’s need to combat strong competition for its 65%-plus market share, but I have low expectations in this regard. Even with a reduced market share, CHPT remains undervalued due to the estimated $77 billion in sector-wide revenue by 2027.
Second, I am not at all scared of Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) dominance in the EV charging space. ChargePoint operates in many markets worldwide, and the only place Tesla is a threat right now is in the U.S. Compared to competitors EVgo (NASDAQ:EVGO) and Blink (NASDAQ:BLNK), this company’s SaaS model sets it apart by avoiding upfront construction costs.
Nevertheless, there is plenty of room for ChargePoint to improve when it comes to profitability. ChargePoint is likely years from positive net income, and it will require a lot of patience for the stock to truly pay off. Still, the consensus price target here is $15.4, implying 77.8% upside. The lowest price target with CHPT stock is $10, above where it currently trades.
JD.Com (JD)
JD.Com (NASDAQ:JD) is a major e-commerce player in China, boasting 500 million active customers and approximately 17% market share. Indeed, JD has been sliding lower since Q1 2021, and remains battered. But things are starting to look up as the company reported strong results for the first quarter of 2023, beating analyst expectations. With 1.4% year-over-year revenue growth, the standout metric for this company is its earnings per share. The company surpassed analysts’ expectations on its bottom line by approximately 57%, signaling a potential turnaround.
JD has immense upside potential, given China’s projected online retail sales of $2.8 trillion in 2023, up from $1.9 trillion in 2019 (according to eMarketer). JD has a competitive edge in this market, and there are many reasons why. But one that truly sticks out is that JD is not as exposed to the regulatory risks that have plagued its rival Alibaba (NYSE:BABA). JD has maintained a good relationship with the Chinese authorities, giving JD a lower risk profile, in my opinion.
The consensus price target for JD is $60.55, implying 63% upside from its current price of roughly $37 per share.
New Fortress Energy (NFE)
New Fortress Energy (NASDAQ:NFE) is a top LNG infrastructure and solutions provider, operating terminals, power plants, and transportation assets in the U.S., Latin America, and the Caribbean. It has also been hammered due to lower energy prices and increasingly negative sentiment toward fossil fuels in general.
However, I think NFE’s stock valuation is now too compelling to ignore and is poised to rebound as oil prices slowly start to trend higher. The company trades at only 6.7-times its forward earnings, which are very low multiples for a company that analysts expect will grow its revenue by 30% year-over-year this year, 48% next year, and 34% in 2025.
Of course, I know there are risks. But with such a low valuation, NFE is a solid buy. The rising investments in LNG infrastructure will also position it to capitalize on this growth opportunity.
Moreover, NFE stock offers a dividend to sweeten the deal for investors, and the consensus analyst price target implies a 62.5% upside.
Indeed, one of the top bargain growth stocks in my book.
StoneCo (STNE)
StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE) is a leading fintech company based in Brazil, offering payment processing, banking, software, and credit services to merchants and partners. The fintech company is in the same boat as e-commerce player JD, and could reap the benefits of an e-commerce rebound.
Since late-2022, the company’s stock has faced pressure following disappointing third-quarter results. These results were attributed to lower transaction volumes and increased operating expenses. Plus, investors also fear increased competition from other Latin American rivals such as PagSeguro (NYSE:PAGS) and MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI).
However, these negatives are all but priced in, and the downside potential for StoneCo is limited. Trading at 17-times forward earnings and 1.7-times sales, the stock offers an attractive valuation given its strong growth potential. Accordingly, the consensus price target for StoneCo is $15.5, implying 24.4% upside from its current price. In the long run, Gurufocus believes a fair price of $80 is reasonable.
StoneCo has ample room for growth as fintech adoption in Brazil remains low compared to other markets, despite ambitious prospects. Only 27.3% of Brazilians use digital payments regularly, much lower than other large markets like China or India.
Teladoc (TDOC)
Teladoc (NYSE:TDOC) has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic-driven shift to online healthcare delivery platforms. The company’s revenue soared during the pandemic, with triple-digit growth in visits, and acquisitions fueling the hype. After a sharp decline in early-2021, the stock price continued to slide in 2022 before stabilizing around $25 per share.
A breakout appears likely, particularly as the company’s mental health segment gains momentum. Mental health is a growing problem that affects millions of people around the world, and is also one that AI cannot solve. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and Teladoc is well-positioned to address this huge and under-served market. It offers variety of mental health services, such as therapy, psychiatry, coaching, and mindfulness.
Teladoc’s mental health segment is a growing driver that sets it apart from competitors. The downside risk here is also minimal, considering the way this stock has traded in recent months.
Emeren Group (SOL)
Emeren Group (NYSE:SOL) is another solid energy pick right now. The stock has lost over 87% of its value since its 2021 high but is now starting to creep upwards again. Emeren Group is primed to capitalize on solar sector growth, particularly in emerging markets like Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
The company’s pivot outside of China is another factor that makes it compelling. Emeren Group aims to generate 63% of its revenue from Europe this year, distinguishing itself from other renewable energy companies susceptible to a potential Chinese economic downturn.
The stock is also trading at only 10-times its forward earnings, which are very cheap levels for a solar-energy startup. Accordingly, the consensus price target for SOL implies a whopping 149% upside from its current price. Simply put, the entry point is too tempting here.
American Airlines (AAL)
American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) may not be commonly associated with growth stocks, but its impressive recovery has been overlooked for an extended period. The stock has continued to languish around 35% below its pre-pandemic price amidst a travel boom and surge in its top line. You’d be paying just over 6-times forward earnings per share, which is nothing short of a bargain.
I do recognize that the travel boom is cooling off, and it won’t last forever. However, American’s valuation is too compelling to ignore. It is a well-established company that will eventually bounce back higher, especially as it has been reducing its debt rapidly.
Analysts expect sales growth to come in at 7.8% year-over-year and then stabilize around 4% for the next two years. That’s nothing to scoff at, since AAL stock traded at a much higher valuation with much lower growth in the pre-pandemic era.
On the date of publication, Omor Ibne Ehsan did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.