Twilio (TWLO), which makes cloud-based software, climbed 13% today after analysts raised price-target after Thursday’s investors day event. (For example Morgan Stanley raised its price garget for Twilio to $270 from $240. I would note the stock closed at $290 today, October 2.) At the session, Twilio said that it expects sales growth of better than 30% a year in each of the next four years. Wall Street had been looking for 25% growth in 2021 and 23% growth in 2022. (Twilio makes software that allows customers’ software developers to add voice communications like phone calls, text messaging via SMS, video, and a wide variety of other types of communications into their software applications. When software developers need the apps that they’ve written to communicate with an end user, they use Twilio’s platform. You’ve used Twilio if you’ve called Lyft or Uber from inside the company’s app, if you’ve used two-factor authentication (again from inside an app), or made dinner reservations through Open Table’s app.)
With its close at $290.36 today, October 2, Twilio has recovered all the ground it lost in August and September after the company reported quarterly financials that showed a drop in revenue growth. From a high of $286.33 on August 3, the shares fell to a low of $221.87.
I’ve owned Twilio in my Volatility Portfolio off and on and off and on again over the last year. Unfortunately, the switch was on off for this recovery.
On Monday I’m adding Twilio back to my Volatility and Jubak Picks portfolios. I think the momentum from the increase in projected revenue growth and the company’s positioning as a stock that will benefit from the trend toward virtual offices and working at home make it one of a handful of technology stocks that I’d like to own even as (and because of) the slowdown in the coronavirus recovery. And yes, I do know that the shares are selling at a premium of 68% according to Morningstar.) In my Jubak Picks Portfolio, I’m setting a target price of $340 a share.
I’m also including Twilio as one of the group of technology stocks that will climb even as the economy wobbles in October and November in my Special Report “Your Investing Guide for the Next Six Dangerous Stock Market Months” (still under construction, alas, on my JuakAM.com site but complete over the weekend, I project.) You find more on why I’m buying a overbought stock in this market in that report if you’re a subscriber to JubakAM.com.
Full disclosure: I own shares of Twilio in my personal portfolio. I have no intention of selling those shares at this time and will give readers a three-day’s advance heads up when if I do decide to sell.
