Low-priced stocks under $10 can be explosively awarding.
That is, if you spot the right one at the right time with the right catalyst.
Look at Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD). Not too long ago, AMD traded at about $10 a share as chip demand began to heat back up. Then, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom hit, AMD made its way above $200 a share.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) once traded at $10 as the movie rental business started to see a massive transformation from the old Blockbuster model. Years later, it would test $691.69. Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) was a $7 stock in 2023. Now thanks to the weight-loss drug boom, VKTX last traded at $52.22 after testing $99 a share.
Call it luck, but we found the following stocks at the right time with the right catalyst.
Altimmune (ALT)
At $6.40, Altimmune (NASDAQ:ALT) could get swept up in a potential $130 billion weight loss drug treatment boom. This is thanks to blockbuster demand for such treatments.
Also, Altimmune may have a leg up on its competition, making it another one of top stocks under $10 to buy.
“Data from a 48-week trial showed that about 74.5% of weight loss was linked to fat tissue. About 25.5% was linked to lean mass, which may give it a leg up against the competition,” according to ALT’s press release.
The company believes the preservation of lean mass with weight loss is critical. In fact, severe medical outcomes, such as musculoskeletal issues and bone fractures, can occur if a person loses too much lean mass during weight loss.
Furthermore, about five analysts rate ALT a strong buy, with an average price target of $23.20. The highest price target right now is $35 a share. My initial price target is $15 at the moment.
Recursion Pharmaceuticals (RXRX)
At $9.30, Recursion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:RXRX) holds immense potential. With a $50 million investment from Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), the two are working on drug discovery driven by AI.
“Drug discovery and development is a long, costly, and high-risk process that takes over 10–15 years with an average cost of over $1–2 billion for each new drug to be approved for clinical use,” according to Science Direct.
Plus, designing new drugs isn’t easy. When creating a new drug, one needs to identify a molecule that balances a large number of anti-correlated properties. Even then, new drug development has a failure rate of 90%.
However, with AI the rate of failure could drop, which is where Recursion Pharmaceuticals comes into play.
“To find the drug and get it into the clinic, I think we can shorten that from five or six years and hundreds of millions of dollars into, perhaps, one or two years and just $10 million or $20 million,” says Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chris Gibson says, as quoted by Motley Fool.
EVgo (EVGO)
Switching from biotech to electric vehicles (EVs), EVgo (NASDAQ:EVGO) could easily quadruple by 2025.
Remember the following, according to Inside Climate News.
“Talk of an implosion of the U.S. electric vehicle market is verging on ridiculous. While there are some serious challenges surrounding EVs — such as the need to build out the nation’s charging infrastructure — automakers are on track to continue on a path of substantial growth.”
Two, if the U.S. is serious about EV adoption, it will install more EV charging stations, which will be a big catalyst for stocks like EVGO.
Three, as I noted earlier this week, “Its business continues to grow and achieve record results, demonstrating the strength of its business model of owning and operating a fast-charging network. The tailwind of long-term EV adoption gives the company confidence that it will achieve adjusted EBITDA breakeven in 2025.”
Again, if the U.S. wants millions of EVs on the roads, it has to get serious about EV charging.
On the date of publication, Ian Cooper did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.