If you want to strike it rich via stocks to help you retire on a private island, the reality is this: You probably can’t go the buy-and-hold approach that legendary investors like Warren Buffett deploy. For one thing, that was a different time when the “American Dream” was accessible to any hardworking, industrious individual. Now, speculation is the name of the game.
Again, the context here is making it filthy rich. More than likely, you can’t do that by acquiring shares of blue-chip dividend stocks. You need something with pizazz, something that provides significant pop. But in doing so, you must accept a gargantuan magnitude of uncertainty.
Basically, it’s a countervailing relationship: The more certainty you have toward an investment, the less its potential reward. The more uncertainty, the greater the potential reward — but at the cost of substantial downside risk.
If you can handle this equation, these stocks might be for you.
Rigetti Computing (RGTI)
A Berkeley, California-based developer of quantum integrated circuits, Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) represents one of the top ideas for stocks to retire on a private island. Thanks to its clear relevance to quantum computing, at the very least, RGTI stock benefits from a compelling narrative. In particular, as artificial intelligence pushes the boundaries of classical computers, the tech industry may push for a paradigm shift.
Indeed, the market has caught onto the opportunity. Since the start of the year, Rigetti gained 69%. Over the past 52 weeks, it nearly tripled its market value. However, the company represents an intriguing cocktail, missing bottom-line expectations in some quarters while beating in others last year. Overall, the average surprise in fiscal 2023 came out to 3.53% below parity.
For the current fiscal year, experts believe Rigetti will post a loss per share of 40 cents on sales of $16.1 million. That would be a sizable improvement over last year’s loss of 57 cents per share on revenue of $12 million.
Analysts rate RGTI a unanimous Strong Buy with a $3.25 average price target, implying 92% upside potential.
DZS Inc. (DZSI)
Listed under the technology industry label — in particular, communication equipment — DZS Inc. (NASDAQ:DZSI) provides access and optical networking infrastructure and cloud software solutions in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Per its corporate profile, DZS offers access edge solutions through DZS Velocity, including voice, high-definition and ultra-high-definition video, highspeed internet access and business class services.
Since the start of the year, DZSI stock incurred a loss of over 32% of equity value. In the past 52 weeks, it’s down 84%. Financially, the performance doesn’t get much better. It has consistently underperformed bottom-line expectations in the past, making it a tough idea to even talk about (unless you’re clear about the context of stocks to retire on a private island).
Still, there may be some hope for a turnaround. For fiscal 2024, experts believe the company will post earnings per share of 67 cents on revenue of $425.4 million. For context, in 2022, the company suffered a loss per share of $1.33 on sales of $375.7 million.
Conspicuously, analysts also peg shares a unanimous Strong Buy with a $6.50 price target, implying 400% upside potential.
Protara Therapeutics (TARA)
Based in New York City, Protara Therapeutics (NASDAQ:TARA) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Per its corporate profile, Protara engages in advancing transformative therapies for the treatment of cancer and rare diseases. The company’s lead program is TARA-002, an investigational cell therapy for the treatment of lymphatic malformations.
Unlike some other candidates for stocks to retire on a private island, TARA is off to a great start in 2024. Since the beginning of January, it’s up 109%. It’s a wildly trading entity, though, with shares gaining only about 10% in the past 52 weeks. You’ve got to have a strong stomach for this opportunity.
Surprisingly, though, the company only missed bottom-line expectations once last fiscal year. In Q2, it posted a loss per share of $1 against an expected per-share loss of 87 cents. However, it mitigated the red ink in the other quarters. Overall, the average surprise landed at 1.9%.
To be fair, Protara is a pre-revenue enterprise and may stay that way for a while. However, analysts rate shares a Moderate Buy with a $36.50 price target, implying an 836% upside potential.
On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto 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.