Risk and reward have an inverse relationship. It’s one of the guiding principles of investing in stocks and any other asset. Thus, people generally believe that to capture massive returns, you have to play it safe. While that’s generally true, there are exceptions to the rule. That’s the point of this article: Finding low-risk stocks that can double your money with relatively low risk.
How do I define their ability to double your capital? I’m looking at their high target stock price which is given by Wall Street analysts. If that’s near or above 100% higher than their current prices, I assume they have the potential to double. That being said, here’s a quick list of stocks to double your money.
Stocks to Double Your Money: MercadoLibre (MELI)
MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) is a growing e-commerce and fintech stock. In fact, as Latin America’s answer to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) it earned the comparison with rapid growth in a geography that is rapidly gaining attention. In short, MercadoLibre hits on a lot of positive catalysts that investors want to put their money behind.
On the e-commerce side, MercadoLibre is bolstered by massive growth measured along several different metrics. In its second quarter, revenues increased by more than 57% to $3.4 billion. The firm moved $10.5 billion worth of merchandise during that period which was a 47.2% improvement. On the fintech side, total payment volume reached $42.2 billion, up nearly 97% on a year-over-year basis.
MercadoLibre is working hard to connect Latin America to a digitized payment system. That’s clear. Those efforts are going to open the region in ways that will serve to speed its continued growth for many years to come. MELI shares trade for $1,211 and have a high target price of $2,150.
Walt Disney (DIS)
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) doesn’t have the potential to double based on its high target stock price. However, it does have more than 50% upside based on that prediction and roughly 25% upside based on consensus views. Still, that’s not terrible. DIS shares did trade at prices more than double their current $84 price tag in 2021 so there’s a very real chance for a rebound precipitated by an economic rebound.
As with just any consumer good, Walt Disney’s products are becoming more expensive. For example, the company raised its theme park prices to combat issues with streaming competition. It’s difficult to imagine that the writer’s strike didn’t contribute to the price increases as well. Disney’s EPS figures are set to sequentially rebound when it releases earnings on Nov. 8. That should go a long way in redeeming DIS shares.
Stocks to Double Your Money: StoneCo (STNE)
Another one of the top stocks to double your money is StoneCo (NASDAQ:STNE), a Brazilian fintech stock that’s growing at a healthy rate. Traditional risk metrics don’t capture the real story of STNE shares and I think it’s really worth a look for investors. After all, it clearly possesses the ability to double based on its high target price.
StoneCo serves a growing Brazilian market and offers payment solutions to small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) in the South American nation. Investors seeking growth really should give the region more scrutiny because it’s growing rapidly. Plus, there’s a strong effort to link it to the global market. Just as with MercadoLibre, StoneCo is one to watch because of the digitization of the region.
StoneCo’s top line grew by 28% in its second quarter. Better, the firm managed to produce the USD equivalent of roughly $64 million in net income in the period. Income increased more than fivefold, speaking to the notion that StoneCo is entering a period of stability. In addition, the company authorized a share repurchase program which serves to reinforce the idea of stability.
Lantheus Holdings (LNTH)
The numbers supporting Lantheus Holdings (NASDAQ:LNTH) don’t lie: It’s a low-risk stock with clear potential to double your money. Its beta of 0.65 means it has historically preserved capital much better than the average share on the market. It trades for less than $70 and has a high target price of $130. That combination of upside potential and downside protection makes it very attractive.
Lantheus Holdings is a medical diagnostics firm, which makes it a bit safer. After all, healthcare stocks are generally safe havens because they provide services and products that benefit from inelastic demand. That is true of Lantheus Holdings. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) promises to propel LNTH even higher. AI is being applied to the realm of medical diagnostics and will help to improve patient outcomes through more accurate diagnoses.
Lantheus Holdings is already improving rapidly. Income more than doubled in Q2 to nearly $94 million and revenue grew by 44%.
Stocks to Double Your Money: Pfizer (PFE)
I’ve been going on and on about the opportunity in Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) stock for the past several weeks. I believe it’s rapidly approaching the bottom. Right now, the narrative is all about Paxlovid and its declining sales.
Pfizer’s blockbuster run in 2021 and 2022 is over. Investors have to let that sink in. Yes, Pfizer just announced that it has increased the prices it will charge for Paxlovid. The firm is attempting to squeeze higher profits from pharmacy benefit managers than it could from the government. Don’t worry much about the effect of that on Pfizer. Instead, consider that Pfizer is investing to revitalize its pipeline over the coming year-and-a-half. That’s where the real upside is.
At the moment, Pfizer plans to launch new drugs during that period. It is one of the most experienced pharmaceutical firms globally in that regard.
Atlassian (TEAM)
Atlassian (NASDAQ:TEAM) is a low-risk software stock with a beta of 0.62. Even better, its high target price of $420 is more than twice its current price of $198.
Atlassian does compete in a highly competitive market marked by several strong vendors. It’s a question of being able to differentiate your product in a market that is essentially similar across the board. That said, Atlassian seems to be capable of doing exactly that. The firm has produced earnings above the high end of the analyst range for the last 3 quarters. That’s a reasonable indication of Atlassian’s ability to brand its products in a way that appeals to buyers. And that’s not an easy thing to do in the software market.
In my mind, Atlassian’s high forward price-to-earnings ratio is justified by revenue growth that is tops among its competitors over the past 3 years. It all suggests that TEAM shares make sense now.
NextEra Energy (NEE)
NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) is the epitome of low risk and is another one of the top stocks to double your money. It’s a utility stock that leverages a large asset base of renewable energy. NextEra Energy is segmented into Florida Power & Light and NextEra Energy Resources. Each business is the largest in the world.
That’s all good and well but what really matters here is that NEE shares are on sale. Investors should buy them. They definitely have the potential to double and include a dividend yielding 3.54% currently. Utility stocks are suddenly considered risky because bond yields have climbed so high. The result is that utility stocks, which are very low risk, now offer premiums equivalent to much riskier stock classes.
NextEra Energy is a hybrid business that is leveraging the growth of wind and solar energy while reaping the rewards a steady utility business provides. It’s really one of the easiest choices out there for risk-averse investors who are seeking quick returns.
On the date of publication, Alex Sirois 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.
