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.

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

dreaming of financial success
Dividend Stocks

Here’s a 4.2% Monthly Dividend Stock to Help Fund Your Retirement Dreams

This Canadian monthly dividend payer’s attractive 4.2% dividend yield, growing property income, and high occupancy could help you build a…

Read more »

Young adult concentrates on laptop screen
Dividend Stocks

Opening Your First Investing Account in Canada: What to Know Before You Click “Apply”

Don’t chase returns without first understanding risks.

Read more »

man gives stopping gesture
Dividend Stocks

A No-Spend Month Could Jump-Start Your Emergency Savings

Join the No-Spend Month challenge to take control of your finances and discover the benefits of minimal spending habits.

Read more »

Happy golf player walks the course
Bank Stocks

The Best Canadian Dividend Stocks if You Want Passive Income

Beyond their quarterly dividend payouts, these two top Canadian dividend stocks offer solid earnings growth and promising long-term opportunities for…

Read more »

A worker overlooks an oil refinery plant.
Dividend Stocks

A 4.9% Passive-Income Stock I’d Put My Whole TFSA Contribution Into

This Canadian dividend stock’s 4.9% dividend yield, strong cash flow growth, and expanding infrastructure investments make it an attractive passive-income…

Read more »

cookies stack up for growing profit
Dividend Stocks

Low-Cost Ways to Earn Extra Income in Canada

These two affordable Canadian dividend stocks could help you turn modest investments into a source of regular extra income.

Read more »

TFSA (Tax free savings account) acronym on wooden cubes on the background of stacks of coins
Energy Stocks

A 5.8% Dividend Stock I’d Make the Core of My 2026 TFSA Contributions

Enbridge turns a $7,000 budget into about $407 annually, with its cash-flow outlook supporting a substantial TFSA income position.

Read more »

monthly calendar with clock
Dividend Stocks

The perfect TFSA REIT: A 4.2% Yield With Monthly Paycheques

Killam Apartment REIT (TSX:KMP.UN) pays dividends monthly.

Read more »