In stock investing, some gems shine brighter than others, yet often they remain hidden. These overlooked growth stocks are obscured from the limelight of Wall Street’s attention. While the market buzzes with discussions about popular stocks, there are quieter contenders with immense growth potential. Fundamentally, they are waiting to be unearthed by savvy investors. The article delves into the strategies of three such hidden champions.
Beyond market speculation, these companies harbor secret catalysts propelling them toward considerable growth. Despite the appearance of mainstream analysts, their performances speak volumes. They promise substantial returns for those with the foresight to recognize their latent potential.
Read more to learn that the first one’s steady ascent, fueled by robust customer retention, the second one’s rapid expansion, driven by the tech edge and the third one’s strategic diversification through shrewd acquisitions each hold a distinct market lead.
Karooooo (KARO)
Karooooo’s (NASDAQ:KARO) performance growth, annual recurring revenue (ARR) and related client metrics are the building blocks of its market cap. Karooooo’s subscription revenue grew by 17% in Q3 fiscal 2024, with ARR increasing by 20% against Q3 fiscal 2023. This steady growth in subscription revenue and ARR signifies the company’s ability to consistently attract and retain customers, indicating a robust and scalable business model.
Such growth is fundamental for sustaining long-term profitability and fostering investor confidence. Also, rapid growth in subscription revenue and ARR suggests Karooooo’s market penetration and the value its offerings provide customers, laying a solid foundation for expansion and revenue generation.
At the bottom line, operating profit increased by 31%, and similarly, EPS grew by 35% in Q3 fiscal 2024 against Q3 fiscal 2023, despite prudent provisions related to Carzuka’s reduced operations. The sustained growth in operating profit margin and EPS reflects Karooooo’s operational efficiency, cost strategies, and edgy utilization of resources. This is contributing to the bottom line and shareholder value.
Regarding liquidity, Karooooo maintained positive free cash flow at ZAR162 million with net cash of ZAR782 million in Q3. This positive free cash flow suggests Karooooo’s operating cash inflows exceed its CapEx. This highlights its capability to fund operations, invest in growth initiatives and breed value through dividends or share buybacks. With a strong cash position, Karooooo has the financial flexibility to pursue strategic moves to derive growth and competitiveness.
Finally, Karooooo holds a commercial customer retention rate of 95%, with an average lifetime revenue per subscriber of ZAR9,629 and an average upfront cost of ZAR2,160 per subscriber. Therefore, this demonstrates Karooooo’s capability to acquire, serve and retain customers while maximizing lifetime customer value and breeding higher valuations.
DoubleVerify (DV)
DoubleVerify (NYSE:DV) delivers solid financial performance with customer expansion. For instance, in Q3 2023, there was 28% revenue growth and 32% adjusted EBITDA margins, highlighting a marked acceleration in Q2. The company’s revenue growth outpaced the industry based on its capability to capture competitive market share. Its full-year 2023 revenue guidance is now projected to have a 27% growth rate above the industry average.
On the other hand, DoubleVerify’s customer wins and expansion momentum has been accelerating, with several large new enterprise logos added in Q3. These include well-known brands such as Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ:ULTA), General Motors (NYSE:GM), NFL, Rolex and others.
Additionally, the company’s year-to-date win rate across all trends is above 80%, with a considerable portion of Q3 wins coming from greenfield trends. Also, the total number of advertiser customers generating more than $200K over the last 12 months increased by 11% against 2022, hitting 272 in Q3. DoubleVerify’s land and expand strategy, high win rates and customer expansion efforts support its rapid growth by capturing new business and increasing revenue from existing clients.
Furthermore, the company focuses on a decisive technological edge that can be observed through its product portfolio. This includes authentic attention, Scibids AI and brand suitability solutions. In this context, Authentic Attention, DoubleVerify’s engagement and exposure measurement solution has seen considerable momentum, with a 57% sequential increase in the number of advertisers activating it in Q3.
Finally, acquiring Scibids AI brings in trends in direct response advertising. This generates tangible outcomes and client return on investment (ROI) improvements. For instance, Icelandair had a 70% decrease in cost per flight booking and an ROI of 10x. Overall, these developments may boost its valuation over time.
Evolution Petroleum (EPM)
Evolution Petroleum (NYSEAMERICAN:EPM) has progressively diversified its portfolio. It is moving away from a pure-play, single-basin, single-commodity strategy. The company has engaged in multiple acquisitions that provide exposure to different commodities (oil, natural gas and NGLs) and various markets.
Strategically, Evolution Petroleum has executed multiple major transactions totaling over $119 million (Q2 fiscal 2024) invested in acquiring assets. These acquisitions position the company in promising regions like SCOOP/STACK in Central Oklahoma. Additionally, these acquisitions have not led to considerable dilution, as the share count has remained virtually unchanged. This indicates an edgy use of capital and a disciplined approach to growth.
Furthermore, the acquisitions have provided Evolution Petroleum access to hundreds of undrilled upside locations. These locations offer considerable potential for development and production growth. The company can choose between participating in drilling activities or selling these locations. This depends on what brings the most value at any given time.
Despite challenges like reduced gas sales and downtime in some wells, Evolution Petroleum has suggested a robust operational edge across its assets. Production levels have been maintained or improved, reflecting the company’s capability to optimize its assets.
On the other hand, Evolution Petroleum maintains a solid financial standing with prudent management of its balance sheet. The company has paid down borrowings while continuing to invest in growth trends. Evolution Petroleum’s liquidity of $58.5 million, between cash and an undrawn $50 million credit facility, provides higher flexibility for operational needs.
Finally, the company maximizes total returns through dividends, share repurchases and strategic investments. Specifically, Evolution Petroleum has a solid track record of returning cash with dividends paid for 41 quarters (back-to-back). Therefore, this focus on value creation boosts and supports the company’s valuation growth potential.
On the date of publication, Yiannis Zourmpanos did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.