We recently published a list of 12 Most Profitable Growth Stocks To Invest In. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Block, Inc. (NYSE:SQ) stands against other most profitable growth stocks to invest in.
After the September inflation report, the market did feel a slight bit of panic but it seems to be fading away. After the report, the market expectations for a rate cut shifted, with 79.9% of participants predicting a cut to 450-475 basis points, while 20.1% expect the rates to remain unchanged. It was a change from 32.1% expecting a 50 bps rate cut and 67.9% anticipating a 25 bps cut at the beginning of the month as mentioned in our 8 Most Profitable Blue Chip Stocks to Invest in article.
However, on October 11, the CME FedWatch tool showed that 89.5% of the market now expects a 25 bps rate cut and the rest expect it to remain the same.
Market Corrections Ahead but No Bear Market in Sight
Christian Mueller-Glissmann from Goldman Sachs joined CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the latest market trends. He believes that the stock market pullback in August could be a warning of more potential corrections, but he does not see a severe bear market ahead. His overall outlook is positive due to a healthy macroeconomic environment, where growth remains stable, inflation is under control, and central banks are starting to reduce rates. These factors create a favorable setting for equities and other risk assets.
He pointed out that while bullish market positioning contributed to August’s setback, the combination of declining inflation and rate cuts allows central banks to cushion against financial shocks, minimizing the risk of a deep downturn.
Mueller-Glissmann highlighted two key reasons for not expecting a major market decline: inflation has significantly dropped, giving central banks more flexibility, and price momentum over the past 6-12 months suggests a strong macroeconomic backdrop. With the labor market improving, he sees no signs of an economic downturn.
His strategy focuses on quality growth stocks that are temporarily undervalued and cyclical value stocks that could recover as the market stabilizes. Regarding inflation, he noted a shift from inflation relief to growth as the main market driver, raising concerns about inflation resurfacing if growth strengthens. However, he remains confident that inflation will stay anchored, and disinflation will continue into the year’s end.
Our Methodology
For this article, we used stock screeners to identify nearly 25 growth stocks above the market cap of $10 billion with a 5-year revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% or above. Next, we narrowed our list to 12 stocks with the highest TTM net income. We also mentioned the hedge fund sentiment around each stock, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s Q2 database of 912 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
People using the Cash App paying for goods and services, highlighting the impact the of the company’s payment tools.
Block, Inc. (NYSE:SQ)
5-Year Revenue CAGR: 42.87%
TTM Net Income: $681 million
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59
Block, Inc. (NYSE:SQ), formerly known as Square, Inc., is building a network of ecosystems that cater to distinct customer groups, including sellers, consumers, artists, fans, and developers. These interconnected ecosystems are designed to foster economic empowerment through a suite of integrated tools and services that work together to address diverse needs. It is one of the most profitable growth stocks to invest in.
Its two primary ecosystems are Square, which offers solutions for businesses, and Cash App, focused on consumer financial services. Cash App started as a money transfer service but has grown into a full financial ecosystem that offers a variety of tools to help users store, send, invest, borrow, and save money.
Block (NYSE:SQ) is also investing in emerging ecosystems like TIDAL, which empowers artists and connects them with fans, and its Bitcoin ecosystem, which includes platforms and tools aimed at decentralizing financial systems.
The company’s approach focuses on developing resilient connections between these ecosystems, which promotes innovation and addresses market inefficiencies, with an emphasis on AI and financial empowerment.
On October 5, The Fly reported that BMO Capital lowered its price target for Block from $93 to $92 while maintaining an Outperform rating. The firm highlighted fintech stocks’ underperformance compared to the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) and the S&P 500 this year, though it remains optimistic about the sector’s medium-term prospects.
BMO expects investors to reward consistent execution and growth, especially in gross profit acceleration. For Block (NYSE:SQ), the firm anticipates that ongoing efforts to address product, reliability, and distribution challenges will pave the way for an increase in gross payment volume (GPV) in 2025, despite ongoing macroeconomic concerns.
Overall, SQ ranks 10th on our list of most profitable growth stocks to invest in. While we acknowledge the potential of SQ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SQ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
Read Next: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
