Growth stocks, particularly in the tech sector, have been a major sore point in the stock market in an already underwhelming year. The S&P/TSX Composite Index is trading at a loss of more than 10% in 2022 with many high-growth tech stocks currently trading at a loss of far more than that.
U.S. investors have not fared any better. The S&P 500 is down more than 20% this year and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite is nearing an incredible 35% loss.
After the bull run that investors enjoyed from early 2020 to late 2021, the selloff in 2022 shouldn’t be all that surprising. However, a 35% loss for the Nasdaq has led to plenty of high-growth tech stocks trading far lower than 50% below all-time highs today, which, as a growth investor myself, has made for a painful year thus far.
All that to say, I certainly haven’t stopped putting money into the market. There’s no shortage of high-quality growth stocks trading at bargain prices right now. If you’ve got some cash to spare, now would be an incredibly wise time to invest.
Now’s the time to load up on cheap growth stocks
I’ve reviewed two Canadian tech stocks that have been taking a beating as of late. Both companies are still relatively new to the public market but have already endured all kinds of volatility.
Even with discounted prices, valuations are not exactly cheap. There’s a lot of expected growth baked into today’s stock price for both companies. As a result, I wouldn’t bank on volatility slowing down just yet. But if you’re looking to add some serious growth potential to your portfolio, these two companies are absolutely worth the risk.
Lightspeed Commerce
At one point in 2020, Lightspeed Commerce (TSX: LSPD) was one of the top-performing TSX stocks. Shares were up an incredible 600% following the COVID-19 market crash. Today, though, the tech stock is trading just about 85% below all-time highs set in late 2021.
I’d strongly argue that the stock’s abysmal performance over the past year and a half is not a true reflection of the health of the business. Lightspeed continues to deliver monster quarterly revenue growth numbers, which are being driven by the company’s continued focus both on geographic expansion and product innovation.
There’s no question that there’s a lot of growth expectation priced into Lightspeed’s valuation today. Even with an 85% discount, shares are not exactly cheap. But I’d argue that the company is up for the task.
As a Lightspeed shareholder, I’ve already added to my position several times this year. These prices are just too hard to pass up.
Docebo
Docebo (TSX: DCBO) is another tech stock that enjoyed a short-lived bull run in 2020. After joining the TSX in late 2019, the tech stock was up more than 500% by the end of 2020. However, similar to Lightspeed, it’s been nothing but downhill since late 2021. Shares are currently trading close to 70% below all-time highs.
The pandemic created a surge in demand for the company, which resulted in short-lived success for the stock.
Docebo designs cloud-based software for training internal and external workforces. The company’s learning management systems help facilitate the entire employee training process, which is especially critical when onboarding a remote worker.
Still valued at a market cap of only $1 billion, this is an under-the-radar growth stock that’s well positioned for multi-bagger growth potential over the long term.
