When it comes to high-powered growth stocks, good things come to those who wait. Admittedly, not every growth story you back will pan out over the long term, but just a handful of big winners can have an outsize impact on your investing performance and deliver life-changing returns.
If you're willing to take on some risk in pursuit of huge returns, read on for a look at fast-growing companies that are worth building positions in right now.
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Unity Software
Interactive content can keep audiences engaged in an era where there are more distractions than ever before. Sure, movies and television series aren't going anywhere, but there's a good case to be made that video games are a more attractive medium for growth-focused investors.
Unity Software (NYSE: U) is a company that provides a development engine, visual assets, and support services that make it easy for users to create digital experiences. With a proven suite of development tools and expanding offerings designed to meet emerging needs, the business is primed to benefit from surging demand for interactive content.
Sales climbed 48% year over year in the second quarter, and the business is likely on track to continue growing at a rapid clip. The company posted a dollar-based net revenue retention rate of 142% in the second quarter, which means that existing customers using Unity's services spent 42% more than they did in the prior-year period. With Unity bringing more customers on board and existing clients increasing their spending, the business is primed for more explosive sales growth.
Even better, Unity Software is posting very strong gross margins, which came in at a whopping 80% across the first half of the year. The combination of big sales growth and stellar gross margins suggests that the company should be able to shift into delivering consistent profitability and big earnings growth, and investors who take a buy-and-hold approach could wind up seeing fantastic returns from the stock.
Airbnb
With travel restrictions still in effect and lingering pandemic conditions dampening consumer enthusiasm, it's a testament to the strength of Airbnb's (NASDAQ: ABNB) business that the company appears to be on track to post best-ever quarterly performance when it reports Q3 results in November. The travel and hospitality industries now appear to be making some encouraging recovery strides, and Airbnb's impressive performance despite recent challenges points toward a promising outlook.
In addition to quadrupling year-over-year sales last quarter, the short-term vacation rental company managed to boost revenue 10% compared with the prepandemic Q2 sales it posted in 2019. Now, Airbnb is ready to start setting sales records again. Strong Q3 results could power the company's share price significantly higher, and the company's long-term growth potential is enticing.
Despite already having a market capitalization of roughly $108 billion, the company is likely still in the early stages of tapping into an incredible addressable market. Airbnb has more listings than ever, and its competitive advantage in the short-term rental bookings market should continue to expand as more hosts join the platform. A growing number of hosts should help attract a growing number of guests, and vice versa.
Through hard times, Airbnb has proven that it's a great company with a highly flexible business model. As near-term challenges ease, there's a good chance that the rental leader's business will post eye-catching rebound performance, and it's not too late for investors to get in on this potentially world-beating winner.
Fiverr International
Despite its very impressive sales growth, it's been an up-and-down year for Fiverr International (NYSE: FVRR) shareholders.
The stock's last big sell-off came on the heels of otherwise stellar second-quarter results. The problem? Fiverr's 60% year-over-year sales growth in the period was paired with more muted guidance for the Q3 and full-year periods.
With its last update, the gig-marketplace specialist guided for midpoint sales growth of 34% in the third quarter and 50% annually for fiscal 2021. Those targets might look pretty fantastic under other circumstances, but the market had priced in even better momentum, and appetite for growth-dependent tech plays has frequently wavered across this year's trading.
For risk-tolerant investors willing to weather potential volatility, I think Fiverr still offers plenty of upside at current prices. The stock trades down roughly 43% from its high, and it's not unreasonable to think that the company's valuation could bounce back and go on to reach new heights. The evolution of the gig economy is still in early innings, and there's still plenty of opportunity to capitalize.
Fiverr is scheduled to report its third-quarter earnings on Nov. 10, and the market will likely be looking for the company to top its potentially conservative growth estimates. Without too much focus on how the Q3 numbers come in, I expect that long-term investors will see strong performance from the stock and think the company has plenty of room to grow from its current market capitalization of roughly $7 billion. The gig economy looks poised for big growth over the long term, and Fiverr International has positioned itself as a leading player in the space.
Find out why Fiverr International is one of the 10 best stocks to buy now
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Keith Noonan owns shares of Airbnb, Inc. and Fiverr International. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Airbnb, Inc., Fiverr International, and Unity Software Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
