2 Growth Stocks to Buy Before They Soar 212% and 712%, According to Certain Wall Street Analysts @themotleyfool #stocks $ROKU $^GSPC $MS $PARA $PATH $WBD

Sep 29, 2024 at 9:12 AM

Unlocking Exponential Gains: Wall Street's Bullish Bets on UiPath and Roku

In a market landscape marked by volatility and uncertainty, two tech giants have caught the attention of Wall Street analysts, who are forecasting staggering triple-digit gains for UiPath and Roku. As the S&P 500 continues its upward trajectory, driven by the surge in artificial intelligence and resilient economic growth, these analysts believe these companies are significantly undervalued, presenting a compelling opportunity for savvy investors.

Unleashing the Power of Automation and AI

UiPath: The RPA Trailblazer Poised for Exponential Growth

UiPath, a pioneer in the field of robotic process automation (RPA), has captured the attention of Morgan Stanley analyst Sanjit Singh, who has set a bull-case price target of $40 per share by September 2025. This forecast implies a remarkable 212% upside from the company's current share price of $12.80.UiPath's business automation platform is at the forefront of the rapidly growing RPA market, offering a comprehensive suite of tools that empower users to identify automation opportunities, develop software robots, and streamline their operations. The company's expertise extends beyond RPA, as it has also been recognized as a leader in intelligent document processing (IDP) by the International Data Corp. This innovative technology blends artificial intelligence and RPA to automate tasks such as document classification, data extraction, and sentiment analysis.Despite reporting mixed financial results in the second quarter of fiscal 2025, with revenue growth of 10% and a contraction in non-GAAP gross margin, UiPath remains optimistic. The company's decision to bring back co-founder Daniel Dines as CEO signals a renewed focus on sales execution, particularly in the growth areas of intelligent document processing. Dines has expressed enthusiasm for the early progress made in the second quarter, stating, "I'm particularly excited about the success we've seen with our IDP solutions."Looking ahead, Wall Street expects UiPath to maintain a steady 10% annual sales growth through fiscal 2026, a projection that leaves room for potential upside. This is due to the forecasted 40% annual growth in the RPA market through 2030, which suggests that UiPath's leadership position in the industry could translate into even stronger performance.While the current valuation of 5.2 times sales may appear reasonable, even if the Wall Street consensus is accurate, investors willing to hold the stock for a minimum of three to five years should consider taking a small position. UiPath's turnaround potential and its position as the "clear category defining leader" in RPA make it a compelling long-term investment opportunity.

Roku: The Streaming Titan Poised for Exponential Growth

Roku, the leading streaming platform in the United States, has also caught the attention of Wall Street analysts, with Ark Invest's Nicholas Grous and Andrew Kim setting a base-case price target of $605 by December 2026. This forecast implies a staggering 712% upside from the company's current share price of $74.50.Roku's unique business model connects consumers, content publishers, and advertisers, monetizing both paid and ad-supported content. The company charges fees for transactions processed through Roku Pay and sells advertising inventory and ad tech software to content publishers on its platform. Additionally, Roku operates its own ad-supported streaming service, The Roku Channel, which has become the eighth-most popular streaming service in the U.S.Roku's dominance in the streaming market is undeniable, with the Roku OS being the best-selling TV operating system in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. In the second quarter, Roku OS was more popular than the next two operating systems combined in terms of TV unit sales, underscoring the company's brand authority and consumer appeal.Roku's recent financial results have been encouraging, with active accounts increasing by 14% and streaming hours jumping 20% in the second quarter. This surge in user engagement translated into a 14% increase in revenue, reaching $968 million, and a significant improvement in adjusted EBITDA, which turned a loss of $18 million in the prior year into a positive $44 million.Wall Street's current revenue growth estimate of 13% annually through 2025 may prove conservative, as the connected TV (CTV) ad spending is projected to grow at 12% annually during the same period. Roku's leadership position in North America, coupled with its expanding presence in international markets, positions the company to potentially outpace these industry projections.While Ark's price target of $605 per share may seem overly optimistic, Roku's current valuation of 2.8 times sales is reasonable, even if the Wall Street consensus is accurate. Investors with a patient, long-term mindset should consider adding a small position in Roku, as the company is well-positioned to outperform the broader market over the next three to five years.