Equities had a solid run between mid-June and mid-August, and it almost looked like we were at the beginning of a bull market. But all three major U.S. market indexes remain solidly in the red for the year, and no one knows when they will hit rock bottom.
Amid these challenging times for investors, many quality stocks are down substantially since the beginning of the year and look like great buys for those willing to hold on to them for a while. Three tech stocks fit that bill: Etsy (ETSY 0.26%), Airbnb (ABNB -1.29%), and Fiverr International (FVRR -2.53%).
1. Etsy
Etsy is an e-commerce specialist that found a way to be highly successful by focusing on a small niche of this vast industry. The company's platform offers primarily vintage or handmade goods that are difficult (sometimes impossible) to find elsewhere.
Developing a solid brand is important for any corporation, and that's what Etsy has done; both buyers and sellers of rare vintage items know where to turn to have the highest chance of finding what they want.
That provides Etsy with a solid network effect. In other words, the value of its platform increases as both buyers and sellers continue to join. True, Etsy's revenue growth has slowed substantially lately. That's partly due to difficult year-over-year comparisons because business was booming with the pandemic-induced increase in e-commerce sales.
Whatever the reason, investors have punished Etsy's stock this year, but that only makes it more attractive to those focused on the long game. Etsy has barely scratched the surface of its potential. The company sees a $2 trillion total addressable market ahead, and it now holds only a minuscule 2.6% share of that total.
Etsy isn't the only player in this space, but it is one of the most important. And considering the name it has already built, investors can expect the company to remain relevant for a long time to come. After losing nearly half of its value in the stock market over the past 12 months, Etsy looks like a solid buy.
2. Airbnb
Airbnb's stock is struggling even as business is picking back up for the company. After a slowdown during the pandemic -- when everyone was stuck at home and traveling was hardly an option -- the home-rental platform is posting results above pre-coronavirus days.
During the second quarter, the company recorded nights and experiences booked of 103.7 million, 25% higher than the previous year's quarter. The company's revenue jumped by 58% year over year -- and by 73% compared to the second quarter of 2019 -- to $2.1 billion.
Airbnb's net income of $379 million was its highest ever. The company reported net losses in the second quarter of the past three years.
One key source for growth is long-term stays. As the company reports, stays of 28 days or longer remain its fastest-growing area. This is important because the pandemic brought about a change, with people increasingly working away from the office. Airbnb is often a better option for those working on the road than traditional hotels are.
The company's rentals offer the feel of an actual home, not to mention amenities that are otherwise hard to come by on the road. Airbnb's platform also benefits from the network effect. The company's growing number of users attracts more renters to the platform and vice versa.
The hospitality industry is still growing, and thanks to its business model and competitive edge, Airbnb is well-positioned to benefit from it in the long run.
3. Fiverr
Fiverr is another stock that rose during the pandemic. The gig economy got a boost during the early days of the outbreak, but with this tailwind substantially easing, the tech company's results are not nearly as strong. During the second quarter, revenue increased by 13% year over year to $85 million, which was unimpressive by its recent standards.
Fiverr remains unprofitable, with a net loss of $41.9 million during the quarter, compared to the net loss of $13.3 million reported in the prior-year quarter. Businesses are spending less on freelancers, partly as a result of the global economic headwinds (such as inflation) we are currently facing.
Even so, there are good reasons to be optimistic. Fiverr's platform is another example of the network effect since more freelancers and businesses make its website even more attractive to other users.
As of June, the company's active buyers grew by 6% year over year to 4.2 million, while annual spend per buyer jumped by 14.6% year over year to $259. The vast gig economy offers Fiverr plenty of space to grow its revenue and eventually become profitable.
The company sees a $247 billion total addressable market in the U.S. Fiverr has only scratched the surface of its opportunities, and that's an excellent sign for the company's future.
