Market downturns represent an excellent opportunity to buy quality stocks at discounted prices.
When President Trump announced the imposition of worldwide tariffs last month, the reaction from investors was swift and severe. Each of the major market indexes fell into correction territory — marked by a decline of more than 10%. The sell-off was led by the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.52%), which briefly entered a bear market, marked by a decline of 20% from its recent high.
Seasoned investors know that market downturns don’t discriminate, punishing good stocks and bad, presenting the opportunity to buy top-shelf stocks at discounted prices.
I viewed the downturn as an opportunity and pounced, deploying about half my available cash to “stock” up on some of my highest-conviction stocks. Here are five that I bought.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Nvidia
With the onset of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution in early 2023, Nvidia (NVDA 0.28%) cemented its place as one of the most important technology companies in a generation. The company’s graphics processing units (GPUs) were already the industry standard for AI and quickly became the go-to to upgrade data centers to meet the rigorous demands of generative AI.
Fears regarding slowing AI acceleration, export restrictions to China, and the impact of tariffs hit the chipmaker hard, sending its stock down roughly 37%.
Yet I viewed the selling as overdone. The full adoption of AI is expected to take place over years, if not decades, and Nvidia is well-positioned to profit from this secular tailwind. In its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter (ended Jan. 26), revenue of $39 billion grew 78% year over year, while earnings per share (EPS) surged 82%. These results suggest that AI still has room to run.
Finally, at just 31 times forward earnings, Nvidia is attractively priced, particularly given its impressive growth rate.
2. Broadcom
If Nvidia is the king of AI, Broadcom (AVGO -1.76%) could well be the queen. The company offers a vast array of semiconductors and infrastructure software solutions that power technology across the cable, mobile, broadband, and data center industries. This puts the company in pole position to benefit from the ongoing wave of digital transformation. Broadcom estimates that “99% of all internet traffic crosses through some type of Broadcom technology.”
However, it’s the data center opportunity that stands out, as that’s where the majority of AI processing occurs. This makes Broadcom a critical provider of AI infrastructure.
The results speak for themselves. In its fiscal 2025 first quarter (ended Feb. 2), Broadcom generated revenue that jumped 25% to $15 billion, while adjusted EPS climbed 45% to $1.60.
While Broadcom is currently selling for 35 times forward earnings, the company’s consistent track record of growth and the vast opportunity ahead make the stock a buy.
3. Amazon
As the world’s largest online retailer, the tariffs announcement took a bite out of Amazon (AMZN 0.18%), driving its stock down nearly 31%. Yet, history has shown the company has been remarkably adept at adapting its business to changing macroeconomic and geopolitical situations while positioning itself for future success. The recent pivot of Amazon Web Services (AWS) to become a hub of AI, and the reacceleration of its cloud growth, is a testament to its agile nature.
Image source: Getty Images.
It’s also worth pointing out that while digital retail accounted for 81% of Amazon’s revenue, AWS is responsible for 63% of its profits, and the segment likely won’t feel the pinch of tariffs. Furthermore, the breadth of Amazon’s merchant base will give shoppers plenty of options to choose from — even if the temporary suspension of reciprocal tariffs expires.
Finally, improving economic conditions could be a boon to Amazon. And 3 times next year’s sales is a fair price for a company with so many ways to win.
4. Shopify
The threat of tariffs took a toll on many stocks, but Shopify (SHOP 0.41%) was hit harder than most. From the announcement of North American tariffs in mid-February to early April, the e-commerce platform’s stock price plummeted by more than 40%.
Many of Shopify’s merchants fell under the so-called “de minimus exemption,” which allowed goods worth $800 or less to be imported duty-free. That exemption was suspended early last month, a move investors feared would wreak havoc on many of Shopify’s smaller merchants.
Earlier this month, Shopify unveiled tariffguide.ai to counter that threat. This AI-powered tool provides tariff rates based on a product description and country of origin, enabling merchants to make data-driven decisions to adjust their product pipelines in minutes rather than days.
Despite the imposition of tariffs, small and large businesses alike continued to join Shopify’s ranks. In the first quarter, revenue of $2.36 billion jumped 27% year over year, while its operating income jumped 136%.
Shopify’s agility has served the company well, enabling it to adjust on the fly in even the most complex of macroeconomic environments. The stock is currently selling for 15 times sales, and while that might seem expensive, that’s well below its 10-year average multiple of 22.
5. The Trade Desk
Heading into its fourth quarter, The Trade Desk (TTD -1.52%) had an unblemished track record of meeting or exceeding its own guidance, and investors rewarded the company with a high valuation. That came to a screeching halt earlier this year when The Trade Desk not only missed Wall Street’s expectations but its own forecast, and the stock cratered.
The decline was exacerbated by the tariff-induced market swoon that followed. In fact, between early December and early April, The Trade Desk stock shed 67% of its value.
One mark of a good management team is owning up to its mistakes and taking steps to correct them — and that’s precisely what The Trade Desk did. During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Jeff Green said, “I want to acknowledge up front that for the first time in 33 quarters as a public company, we fell short of our own expectations.” He went on to cite a “series of small execution missteps” and outlined management’s plan to address those shortfalls.
Given the company’s nearly flawless track record, this seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up, so I added to my position. It turns out my faith in The Trade Desk’s management team was justified. In the first quarter, growth reaccelerated, as revenue of $616 million climbed 25%, and adjusted EPS jumped 27%.
The Trade Desk is also reasonably priced, with a price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.92, when any number less than 1 suggests an undervalued stock.
