2 Tech Stocks Ready To Take Off

With each economic report, it seems more certain that the U.S. economy is not teetering on the precipice but rather continuing to grow moderately, with a positive impact on consumer spending and corporate earnings. Not surprisingly, U.S. stock market volatility has decreased and investors are again comfortable taking on a little more risk in the form of smaller growth stocks. Here are two up-and-coming technology stocks to consider now:

Proofpoint (Nasdaq: PFPT) is a small but fast-growing cybersecurity provider, a leader in the burgeoning “security as a service” industry, which provides cloud-based protection against hacking, phishing, malware and spam. Proofpoint’s products protect messages, social media and data for enterprises and consumers. Improved security of sensitive information has been a huge priority of government and corporate organizations for years. It’s increasingly a concern for individuals as well — especially given the proliferation of so-called “ransomware” programs that shut down personal computers until an expensive repair software is purchased (from the scammer that sent the virus in the first place).

#-ad_banner-#​Proofpoint’s innovative technologies, which include next-generation email security solutions, use encryption and other secure storage technologies to stymie outside attacks; their services include preventative threat intelligence and quick-response solutions to stop new attacks before they can compromise sensitive information. For example, the company’s new Targeted Attack Protection product identifies and neutralizes threats in real time, as they’re occurring.

While still young and growing — the company is not yet profitable — Proofpoint has accumulated an impressive client list that includes half of the Fortune 500 and many of the largest U.S. banks, retailers and pharmaceutical companies. Its business strategy includes a specialization in compliance — helping companies archive and protect all of the data they need to keep to comply with regulations and customer needs. This is a growing and complicated area as data gets dispersed across the cloud, and Proofpoint provides solutions that enterprises need. The archiving security market alone growing at a double-digit annualized rate, from about $1.5 billion in 2013 to an estimated $2.4 billion in 2018.

Revenue rose to $265.4 million in 2015 from $195.6 million in 2014, a 41% increase. Analysts look for revenue growth of about 35% this year and next. Proofpoint is expected to become profitable this year, with earnings rising sharply in 2017 and 2018 — and the company should reach $1 billion in sales by 2021. With a gross margin above 70%, the company is well-positioned for excellent profit margins as it achieves scale and its revenue rises. As the leader in a growing market, and with a vast international market still mostly untapped, Proofpoint could be a tech juggernaut by 2020.

The stock has rallied in recent weeks and is picking up momentum. It’s far from cheap relative to sales or future expected earnings, but most analysts look for more price appreciation this year as quarterly results confirm Proofpoint’s strategy is working. Don’t buy the stock if you’re risk-averse; companies on the cusp of profitability are notoriously volatile. But aggressive investors should consider this a great entry point.

Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) is the latest up-and-coming software company offering innovative ways for companies of all sizes to provide customer service. Zendesk’s platform gives customers an easy-to-use single customer service interface to manage one-on-one interactions, help answer questions in various ways (including online chats) and gather data from customers. The company’s aim is to help its customers interact with today’s online, social-media-savvy consumers — who demand, in Zendesk’s words, “instant, transparent, personalized and ubiquitous” relationships with their favorite brands. Rather than a single transaction, they are looking for lifetime relationships, which require companies to engage in many ways, including social media, and on various platforms, including mobile devices.

Zendesk seems to have found a formula that works. It has 69,000 paying customers around the world — including many small businesses — and it has signed on a slew of large customers that includes such fast-growing companies as Uber, Dropbox, Pinterest and Slack. Its revenue soared from $16 million in 2011 to $209 million in 2015, and the company’s fourth-quarter revenue rose 63% vs. the year-earlier period, better than analysts expected, while earnings losses are shrinking on pace with expectations.

Zendesk has been a hotly watched stock on Wall Street; as such, its valuation is sky-high based on metrics such as price to sales ratio. But its performance has been fairly mundane over the past year, and it currently trades well below its 52-week high. After eight consecutive quarters of 60%-plus sales growth, Zendesk looks for real and could take off if investors remain relatively optimistic about the U.S. economy.

Risks To Consider: Technology stocks early in their lifecycle are vulnerable to competitors leapfrogging with newer, better products and services. Both companies also would be hurt by slower-than-expected economic growth in North America.

Action To Take: Buy Proofpoint under $55 and Zendesk under $20.50.

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