Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by BFSLTeam BFSLTeam
Table of Content
What are Growth Stocks?
Growth stocks are shares offered by companies that have a strong potential for growth. Investing in these shares can lead to significant wealth accumulation as their value increases over time. However, it’s important to note that investing in growth stocks in India can be risky because these companies are still developing.
Key Features of Growth Stocks
Investing in growth stocks is ideal for those who are willing to take risks in pursuit of substantial returns. You can identify the best growth stocks and their issuing companies by considering the following characteristics:
1. Companies with high growth potential have shares that are in high demand, leading to a higher bid price for their stocks. These growth stocks often have a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which indicates the potential for high returns on investment.
2. The P/E ratio is calculated by dividing the market value per share by the earnings per share. A high P/E ratio suggests that people expect the company to grow significantly in the future. However, it’s important to be cautious because a high P/E ratio can sometimes be misleading, indicating that a company is overvalued.
3. To avoid this, investors also consider the price-earnings to growth (PEG) ratio, which takes into account the company’s earnings per share growth rate. A high PEG ratio suggests strong performance and is considered a more reliable indicator than the P/E ratio.
4. Growth stocks can only be issued by companies with substantial growth potential. This is possible when a company has a strong foundation, a solid business development plan, and competent management.
5. The return on equity (RoE) value, published annually, reflects a company’s ability to generate returns for its shareholders. Companies issuing growth stocks in India typically have an RoE of 15% or higher annually.
Why Invest in Growth Stocks?
Investing in the best growth stocks aims to build wealth through significant capital gains. These companies tend to outpace their industry’s growth rate, resulting in higher revenue.
Profits from growth stocks are typically released over the long term, subject to long-term capital gains tax (LTCG), which is often lower than short-term taxation. Indexation provisions further reduce the tax burden.
Returns from growth stocks often exceed the inflation rate, allowing investors to grow their wealth and increase their standard of living over time.
Risks of Investing in Growth Stocks
Growth stocks are considered risky because they rely on aggressive business strategies to gain market advantage. These companies often reinvest profits instead of paying dividends, which can be a disadvantage for investors.
If a company experiences long-term losses, investors may lose their entire investment since there are no dividend payments during the lock-in period.
Economic conditions can heavily influence the performance of growth stocks. Economic abnormalities, such as financial bubbles, can lead to misleading growth in these stocks.
Alternative Investment Option: Value Stocks
In contrast to growth stocks, value stocks are offered by companies that are currently undervalued in the market. These stocks typically have lower price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, making them a profitable investment option.
Investors in value stocks can benefit from both dividend payments and capital appreciation. Additionally, since value stocks are usually issued by companies with substantial market capitalisation, the risk of a poor investment is reduced.
How To Invest In Growth Stocks
Investing in growth stocks is a strategy that aims to profit from the potential of companies that are expected to grow faster than the market average, either in terms of revenue, profits, or share price. Growth stocks can offer high returns, but they also entail high volatility and uncertainty. Therefore, growth investors should have a long-term horizon and a high tolerance for risk.
There are different ways to identify and invest in growth stocks, such as:
- Researching industries that have historically beaten the market at large, such as technology and health care, and looking for companies that operate in these sectors and have innovative products, services, or technologies that give them a competitive edge over their peers.
- Analysing the financial performance and growth prospects of individual companies, such as their earnings per share (EPS), revenue growth, return on equity (ROE), profit margins, cash flow, and future guidance.
- Comparing the valuation metrics of different companies, such as their price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, price-to-sales (P/S) ratio, price-to-book (P/B) ratio, and price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio, and looking for those that are undervalued or have reasonable valuations relative to their growth potential.
- Buying into growth stocks slowly to reduce your risk, and diversifying your portfolio across different sectors, industries, and market caps to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket.
- Investing in growth mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on growth stocks and are managed by professional fund managers who have the expertise and resources to select the best growth stocks for you.
Exploring the Qualities of Strong Growth Stocks
As an investor, it’s wise to consider the potential of investing in growth stocks. These stocks represent ownership in companies expected to outperform their competitors in terms of earnings and stock performance.
While growth stocks typically don’t pay dividends, their potential for capital appreciation can be substantial. As these growth-focused companies mature, they may eventually start distributing dividends.
Here are five key characteristics to look for when evaluating a potential growth stock investment:
1. A Robust Leadership Team:
Growth companies aim to increase sales and profits, making the leadership team’s vision and capabilities crucial. Successful growth requires innovative leaders who can drive the company forward. It’s essential to examine the track record of executives and managers, even before they joined the company, as many growth companies may be young with limited performance history.
2. A Promising Growth Industry:
To achieve growth, companies should operate in industries with significant growth potential beyond the broader economy. They can also thrive at the intersection of multiple high-growth industries.
Besides being in a high-growth industry, the selected company should possess a significant market share. Market share reflects a company’s competitiveness within its industry. Growing market share correlates with increasing revenues. It’s advisable to avoid investing in companies with limited market share or those relying solely on one successful product.
4. Strong Sales Growth:
In addition to leadership, industry, and market share, a company’s sales performance is crucial. Look for companies experiencing consistent growth in sales, revenue, and earnings over successive quarters. Pay attention to sales growth associated with market breakthroughs or new management teams.
5. A Large Target Market:
Sustainable growth necessitates a sizable consumer base. Companies aiming for growth should cater to extensive markets to maximise sales and revenue potential. For example, Apple’s success with the iPhone can be attributed to its vast market reach.
Conclusion
Growth stocks are shares of companies that are expected to grow faster than the market average, either in terms of revenue, profits, or share price. Growth investors seek to capitalise on the potential of these companies to increase their value over time, rather than relying on dividends for income. Growth stocks can be found in any sector or industry, but they are more common in emerging markets and innovative fields, such as technology and health care. Investing in growth stocks requires careful research, as they often trade at high valuations and face significant risks from competition, regulation, and market fluctuations. Growth stocks can offer high returns, but they also entail high volatility and uncertainty. Therefore, growth investors should have a long-term horizon and a high tolerance for risk.
