History Says the Nasdaq Will Soar: 2 Growth Stocks With 26% and 38% Upside to Buy Now, According to Wall Street

Sep 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM

Nasdaq's Resilience: 2 Growth Stocks Poised for Substantial Gains

The Nasdaq Composite has recently entered correction territory, but history suggests a swift recovery is on the horizon. Despite worrisome labor market data, investors have reason to be optimistic as the index has a track record of bouncing back quickly. Wall Street analysts are forecasting sizable gains for two Nasdaq-listed stocks, Amazon and Zscaler, making them attractive investment opportunities in the current market environment.

Unlock the Nasdaq's Upside Potential: Uncover 2 Stocks Primed for Substantial Growth

Amazon: Capitalizing on E-Commerce, Digital Advertising, and Cloud Computing Dominance

Amazon's diversified business model and market-leading positions across key industries make it a compelling investment opportunity. The company's strong presence in e-commerce, digital advertising, and cloud computing has enabled it to gain significant market share in these rapidly growing sectors.In the e-commerce space, Amazon is poised to account for an impressive 40.4% of online retail sales in the U.S. this year, up 80 basis points from the previous year. This dominant position underscores the company's ability to capitalize on the continued shift towards online shopping.Moreover, Amazon's digital advertising business is also thriving, with the company expected to capture 13.9% of digital ad spending in the U.S. this year, a 140-basis-point increase from the prior year. This growth highlights the company's ability to leverage its vast customer base and data insights to provide effective advertising solutions for businesses.In the cloud computing arena, Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains a market leader, accounting for 32% of cloud infrastructure and platform services spending in the second quarter, up 100 basis points from the previous quarter. This strong performance demonstrates the company's ability to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving cloud computing landscape.Despite missing second-quarter revenue estimates, Amazon's overall financial performance remains solid, with GAAP earnings increasing 94% to $1.26 per diluted share, easily surpassing analyst expectations. While management's guidance for slower growth in the third quarter may have caused a temporary stock decline, the company's long-term growth prospects remain promising.Wall Street analysts are forecasting a 23% annual earnings growth rate for Amazon over the next three years, making the current valuation of 42 times earnings appear reasonable. With a PEG ratio of 1.8, well below the three-year average of 2.9, the stock presents an attractive opportunity for investors seeking exposure to a leading technology and e-commerce player.

Zscaler: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity with its Innovative Zero Trust Platform

Zscaler, a cybersecurity company specializing in zero trust network access, offers a compelling investment case. The company's security service edge (SSE) platform addresses three major challenges inherent to traditional perimeter-based security solutions, providing a superior user experience, freeing businesses from the burden of on-premises security appliances, and leveraging AI-powered threat detection capabilities.Zscaler's CEO, Jay Chaudhry, recently highlighted the company's competitive advantage, stating, "We are training our AI security models with vast amounts of data generated by over 400 billion daily transactions on our platform to deliver superior threat detection. We are leveraging AI to automatically classify data and enforce policies for better data loss prevention."The company's strong financial performance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 (ended July 31) underscores its ability to capitalize on the growing demand for advanced cybersecurity solutions. Revenue increased 30% to $593 million, and non-GAAP net income jumped 38% to $0.88 per diluted share, demonstrating the company's operational efficiency and profitability.While Zscaler's management provided disappointing guidance for fiscal 2025, citing temporary headwinds from higher-than-expected sales organization turnover, this presents a buying opportunity for patient investors. Wall Street expects the company's revenue to grow at a robust 21% annually over the next three years, making the current valuation of 10.9 times sales appear reasonable, especially considering that Zscaler shares haven't been this cheap in 15 months.The drawdown in Zscaler's stock price creates an attractive entry point for investors seeking exposure to a leading cybersecurity provider with a strong competitive position and promising long-term growth prospects. As the company addresses the temporary sales-related challenges, its go-to-market capabilities are expected to improve, positioning it for continued success in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.