Tech stocks have seen a surge in investor interest, especially following the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to lower its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2020. With the tech-heavy Nasdaq up 20% this year, the sector is clearly benefiting from this shift.
Thus, investors looking to tap into this momentum could consider scooping up shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE), UiPath Inc. (PATH), and N-able, Inc. (NABL), which are trading under $20 with strong upside potential.
Historically, tech stocks have thrived in low-interest environment rates, and the Fed’s recent 50 basis-point cut could further fuel a bullish trend. Lower rates enhance the value of future cash flows, leading to higher company valuations and increased investor confidence. As a result, tech companies may seize this moment to raise capital, pursue mergers and acquisitions, or even explore IPOs.
Moreover, the tech sector’s growth shows no sign of slowing down, largely due to its ability to innovate and transform industries. From cloud computing to artificial intelligence, these companies are driving global technological advancements.
The global information technology market is projected to be $26.93 trillion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11%. Meanwhile, Gartner Inc. (IT) forecasts that worldwide IT spending will increase by 8% this year, hitting $5.06 trillion. This steady stream of investment reflects the tech industry’s vital role in the future of the global economy.
For investors, these under-$20 tech stocks represent an opportunity to tap into a sector that is poised for long-term growth. Let’s look at the fundamental aspects of the featured stocks in detail:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE)
HPE is a global technology company that provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly. It operates through six segments: Compute; HPC & AI; Storage; Intelligent Edge; Financial Services; and Corporate Investments and Other.
On August 15, HPE announced its acquisition of Morpheus Data, a pioneer in software for hybrid cloud management and platform operations. This acquisition will enable HPE to unify complete hybrid capabilities on a single platform. It will also enhance it by providing multi-vendor, multicloud application provisioning, orchestration, automation, and FinOps capabilities for cloud cost optimization.
In terms of forward non-GAAP P/E, HPE is trading at 9.62x, 60.3% lower than the industry average of 24.23x. Likewise, the stock’s forward EV/EBIT and Price/Cash flow multiples of 10.68 and 6.29 are 46.7% and 71.4% lower than their respective industry averages of 20.02 and 21.99.
In the fiscal 2024 third quarter that ended on July 31, HPE’s net revenue increased 10.1% year-over-year to $7.71 billion. The company reported non-GAAP earnings from operations of $771 million, indicating a 7.4% growth from the prior year quarter with a margin of 10%.
HPE’s non-GAAP net earnings came in at $661 million, up 3.4% year-over-year, while its non-GAAP net earnings per share grew 2% from the year-ago value to $0.50.
According to the fiscal 2024 outlook, HPE anticipates revenue growth to range from 1% to 3%. The company forecasts GAAP operating profit to range between 2%-6% and its non-GAAP operating profit to be 2%. The non-GAAP EPS is projected to be between $1.92 to $1.97 per share.
Street expects HPE’s revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter (ending October 2024) to increase 12.4% year-over-year to $8.26 billion. Its EPS for the same period is expected to register a 7.1% growth from the prior year, settling at $0.56. In addition, it surpassed the EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, which is promising.
Over the past six months, the stock has surged 12.3%, closing the last trading session at $18.85.
Out of 10 analysts that rated HPE, three rated it Buy, while seven rated it Hold. The 12-month median price target of $20.78 indicates a 10.2% upside potential from the last closing price. The price targets range from a low of $18 to a high of $24.
HPE’s POWR Ratings reflect this robust outlook. The stock has an overall rating of B, which equates to Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.
HPE has an A grade for Value and a B for Sentiment. It is ranked #8 out of 45 stocks in the Technology - Communication/Networking industry. Click here to see the additional ratings for HPE (Growth, Momentum, Stability, and Quality).
UiPath Inc. (PATH)
PATH is an enterprise automation and artificial intelligence (AI) software company that provides an end-to-end automation platform that offers a variety of international robotic process automation (RPA) solutions.
On July 2, PATH launched new features on its platform, which infuse GenAI deeply into the UiPath Business Automation Platform™ to help businesses achieve greater outcomes with AI and automation. These several new features facilitate developers and organizations to build better, faster, and more comprehensive automation.
In terms of forward non-GAAP PEG, PATH is trading at 0.95x, 50.2% lower than the industry average of 1.91x. Likewise, the stock’s forward Price/Book and Price/Cash Flow multiples of 3.64 and 21.54 are 15.5% and 2.1% lower than the industry averages of 4.31x and 21.99x, respectively.
PATH’s revenues for the second quarter (ended July 31, 2024) increased 10.1% year-over-year to $316.25 million. It reported a non-GAAP gross profit of $263.19 million, indicating a 6.6% growth from the prior-year quarter, while its non-GAAP net income for the quarter stood at $23.76 million or $0.04 per share. Also, the company’s non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow increased 25.6% year-over-year, amounting to $149.78 million.
As per the financial outlook for the fiscal year 2025, PATH forecasts revenue to be between $1.42 billion and $1.43 billion. The company also expects a non-GAAP operating income of approximately $170 million.
Analysts expect PATH’s revenue and EPS for the current year (ending January 2025) to be $1.42 billion and $0.40, respectively. For the fiscal year 2026, both its revenue and EPS are expected to grow by 11.5% and 10.5% from the prior year to $1.58 billion and $0.44, respectively.
The stock has gained 10.6% over the past three months to close the last trading session at $12.45. Its 12-month price target of $15.67 reflects a 25.9% potential upside.
PATH’s POWR Ratings reflect its promising outlook. The stock has an overall rating of B, which equates to Buy in our proprietary rating system.
PATH has a B grade for Growth and Quality. It is ranked #8 out of 18 stocks in the A-rated Software - SAAS industry. Click here to access the other ratings of PATH for Value, Momentum, Stability and Sentiment.
N-able, Inc. (NABL)
NABL provides cloud-based software solutions for managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide, facilitating their support of digital transformation and growth for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
On September 11, NABL partnered with Infinigate Cloud to expand its cloud solutions marketplace in European countries. This collaboration aims to provide managed service providers (MSPs) with an easy-to-use, reliable self-service experience and helps NABL scale its solutions seamlessly.
In terms of trailing-12-month PEG, NABL is trading at 0.62x, which is 26.9% lower than the industry average of 0.85x. The stock’s forward Price/Book ratio of 3.19x is 25.9% below the industry average of 4.31x. Also, its forward EV/EBIT multiple of 18.67 compares to the industry average of 20.02.
For the second quarter, which ended on June 30, NABL’s revenues increased by 12.6% year-over-year to $119.45 million. Its non-GAAP operating income came in at $39.79 million, up 38.7% year-over-year, with a non-GAAP operating margin of 33.3% (up 620 bps year-over-year). The company’s non-GAAP net income came in at $26.65 million and $0.14 per share, up 63.9% and 55.6% year-over-year, respectively.
In addition, the company’s unlevered free cash flow increased by 50.2% year-over-year, amounting to $35.45 million. Its adjusted EBITDA grew 34.1% year-over-year, to $46.81 million,
For the full fiscal year 2024, the company expects its total revenue to range between $463 million and $465 million. It also anticipates adjusted EBITDA between $165.50 million and $167.50 million.
The consensus revenue estimate of $114.79 million for the fiscal third quarter (ending September 2024) represents a 6.7% increase year-over-year. The consensus EPS estimate of $0.10 for the same quarter indicates a 9.5% improvement year-over-year. The company has an impressive surprise history; it surpassed the consensus revenue and EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters.
NABL shares have surged 3.1% over the past nine months to close the last trading session at $13.01.
Based on 2 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for NABL in the last three months, the average target price is $16.75, indicating a 28.8% potential upside from the last price, with a high forecast of $17 and a low forecast of $16.50.
It’s no surprise that NABL has an overall rating of B, which equates to a Buy in our POWR Ratings system. It has an A grade for Sentiment and a B for Growth and Stability. Out of 75 stocks in the Technology - Services industry, NABL is ranked #12.
Beyond what is stated above, we’ve also rated NABL for Value, Momentum, and Quality. Get all NABL ratings here.
What To Do Next?
43 year investment veteran, Steve Reitmeister, has just released his 2024 market outlook along with trading plan and top 11 picks for the year ahead.
HPE shares were trading at $18.70 per share on Friday morning, down $0.15 (-0.80%). Year-to-date, HPE has gained 12.40%, versus a 20.29% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Shweta Kumari
Shweta's profound interest in financial research and quantitative analysis led her to pursue a career as an investment analyst. She uses her knowledge to help retail investors make educated investment decisions.
3 Tech Stocks Under $20 With High Upside Potential StockNews.com
