The Smartest Growth Stock to Buy With $2,000 Right Now

Shopify (TSX:SHOP) stock looks like a steal of a deal while it’s still in a bear market.

| More on:
Key Points
  • Consider a barbell approach—keep value/defensive holdings while starting to nibble on fallen growth names—since growth-to-value rotations can reverse quickly and the best bargains often appear when sentiment is uncomfortable.
  • Shopify is pitched as a dip-buy candidate with shares still ~29% off highs despite a bounce, but it’s high-risk/high-reward at ~63x forward P/E, with the bull case hinging on AI tailwinds and agentic commerce via its Universal Commerce Protocol driving future monetization.

It might be time to think about putting a bit of money to work on the dip in some of the market’s fallen growth darlings. Growth-to-value rotations can turn at any moment and for any reason, or they might drag on for months, quarters, or even a few years. In any case, they can be tough to time, and investors may wish to implement more of a “barbell” approach that weights value and safety on one side with growth and the riskier names on the other. That way, investors will be poised to do well whatever Mr. Market deems is next.

Right now, value is shining, but if history is any suggestion, it might not take all too long for growth to get back in the driver’s seat, especially if valuations contract in a way such that suddenly it’s growth that becomes the name value, and value becomes the new overpriced safety trade.

Either way, let’s look into a growth stock candidate that might make sense to buy if you’ve got some leftover TFSA cash. Let’s say $2,000 or so in dividends and unused contributions have piled up in recent years, and you’re looking to take advantage of the new wave of volatility hitting tech, growth, and AI.

While weakness could beget even more downside, those with extended time horizons, I think, shouldn’t wait around for growth to settle and recover because, by then, the best of deals will have been scooped up by other investors. Sometimes, you’ve got to feel the least comfortable when buying to be able to get the best value.

A plant grows from coins.

Source: Getty Images

Shopify

Look no further than those beaten-down shares of Shopify (TSX:SHOP), which gained more than 6% on Wednesday in a big bounce-back session for Bay and Wall Street. Even after a strong single-day bounce, shares of SHOP are still off 29% from their highs, driven lower by AI disruption uncertainties, the U.S.-Iran conflict, and, of course, the capital expenditure shock that worked its way across tech. While things couldn’t be more uncertain, I still find Shopify to be a great growth play with some of the most furious AI tailwinds out there.

Not a whole lot has changed since the year began, and shares found themselves falling into a bit of a tailspin. While Shopify looks cheaper, the forward price-to-earnings (P/E) of 63.2 times still prices in a lot going right. Just how much of the AI shopping boom is baked into the current multiple? It’s really tough to tell.

Either way, Shopify’s shift to agentic commerce via its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) could be a source of a major upside surprise. Now, I have no idea when agentic storefronts will drive sales higher and by how much. But I think it’s an absolute mistake to discount the potential behind such drivers, especially since many investors might be a bit fatigued from all the AI news of late. When it comes to Shopify, there’s real monetization potential here, whether or not agents are how consumers shop online in the future.

Personally, I wouldn’t want an AI to shop on my behalf unless, of course, it’s for things I already pay for. Expensive surprises are never fun. Either way, agentic shopping could be the new way to discover items across parts of the web that might not be all too easy to reach. And that’s where the upside for Shopify could arise.

Fool contributor Joey Frenette has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

More on Investing

crisis concept, falling stairs
Stocks for Beginners

2 Canadian Stocks That Could Utterly Destroy a $100,000 Portfolio

Understand the risks associated with goeasy stock and its significant decline. Protect your portfolio with informed decisions.

Read more »

man gives stopping gesture
Dividend Stocks

2 Stocks That Canadian Retirees May Want to Think Twice About Owning

If you have a long investment horizon and a portfolio geared for retirement planning, these two stocks are investments you…

Read more »

senior man smiles next to a light-filled window
Dividend Stocks

3 Dividend Stocks to Buy if Rates Stay Higher for Longer

Higher rates make yield traps more dangerous, so these three dividend names show three different “quality income” approaches.

Read more »

middle-aged couple work together on laptop
Dividend Stocks

5 Canadian Stocks Beginners Can Buy and Hold Forever

These five Canadian stocks offer beginners a mix of simple business models and long-term staying power.

Read more »

Income and growth financial chart
Dividend Stocks

1 Canadian Stock I’d Buy Before Trade Tensions Heat Up Again

Trade tensions can rattle markets, but food companies like Maple Leaf tend to hold steadier because people still need to…

Read more »

farmer holds box of leafy greens
Dividend Stocks

One Canadian Dividend Stock That’s Down 10% — and Worth Holding for the Very Long Term

Nutrien (TSX:NTR) might be down, but shares are too cheap as the TSX Index rallies onward.

Read more »

frustrated shopper at grocery store
Stock Market

A Top‑Performing U.S. Stock That Canadian Investors Really Should Own

Canadian investors looking for stability and growth should consider Costco, a top‑performing U.S. stock with a resilient business model and…

Read more »

A plant grows from coins.
Dividend Stocks

The Smartest Dividend Stocks to Buy With $250 Right Now

Start early and invest consistently in solid dividend stocks for long-term wealth creation.

Read more »