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For investors looking for a hint as to policy-makers’ view of the economy, the Federal Reserve has come through. The central bank released the minutes of its most recent policy meeting – at which it decided not to raise interest rates or scale back on its easy-money polices – and the inside look at the Fed committee’s deliberations shows that the decision was broad-based. The Fed is in no hurry to move to a tighter money policy, and the easy credit and low interest of recent years will continue. It’s another reason for optimism among investors, who are also feeling upbeat after the March jobs report, the massive $1.9 trillion cash infusion from the COVID relief bill, the prospect of additional Federal spending largesse under the Biden Administration, and the continued acceleration of the COVID vaccination program. All of this indicates, by mid-summer, a workforce able to move out of COVID restrictions, a growing economy, and plenty of cash to fuel the growth. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, summed up the bullish case in his shareholder letter this week: “I have little doubt that with excess savings, new stimulus savings, huge deficit spending, more QE, a new potential infrastructure bill, a successful vaccine and euphoria around the end of the pandemic, the U.S. economy will likely boom. This boom could easily run into 2023 because all the spending could extend well into 2023.” So, in a growth environment, it’s time to look at growth stocks. We used TipRanks’ database during our search for exciting growth names, according to the analyst community. Locking in on three stocks that fit the bill, each analyst-backed ticker stands to notch more gains on top of their impressive year-to-date climbs. Here are all of the details. Full House Resorts (FLL) We’ll start in the casino business, where Full House Resorts has a long history. The Nevada-based company operates five casinos in four states. Full House is known for its association with big names in business community; its leadership in the last 25 years has included innovators such as Allen Paulson and Lee Iacocca. Over the past 12 months, Full House has seen strong share growth, with the stock rising 726%. The company struggled with the COVID pandemic in 1H20 - but in the second half of last year, as the economy began to reopen, revenues quickly began to recover and the stock took off. In Q4, Full House reported $38.3 million in revenues, just 1.7% below the year-ago quarter. The company reported net earnings of 12 cents per share in 4Q20, compared to a net EPS loss of 15 cents one year earlier. The pandemic closures were visible in the full year 2020 results, which showed $125.6 million at the top line – down 24% from 2019. Earnings, however, were positive, with full year 2020 EPS at 1 cent per share, in a dramatic turnaround from the 22 cent per share loss reported for 2019. In his coverage of this stock, Craig-Hallum’s 5-star analyst Ryan Sigdahl is unabashedly upbea. “FLL remains a top pick with several ways to win. Operations are significantly improved with EBITDA margins that have more than doubled and we believe are sustainable (10% to mid-20%), long-term debt secured and bolstered by an equity raise which funds attractive expansion projects, and a stock that trades at a significant discount to comps," Sigdahl noted. The analyst summed up, "We believe there is an asymmetric risk/reward opportunity in shares given the underappreciated sports betting / iGaming benefit and upside potential if awarded the Waukegan casino license." In line with his optimistic approach, Sigdahl stays with the bulls. The analyst rates FLL a Buy along with a $12 price target. Investors could be pocketing a gain of 26%, should this target be met in the twelve months ahead. (To watch Poponak’s track record, click here) Overall, it’s clear that Wall Street agrees with Sigdahl here – FLL shares have 3 recent reviews, all are to Buy, and the analyst consensus rating is a Strong Buy. The shares are priced at $9.50, with an average price target of $11.17 to indicate a 17% upside potential. (See FLL stock analysis on TipRanks) Travelzoo, Inc. (TZOO) The travel industry was slammed by the coronavirus crisis, Travelzoo, an online marketplace that offers vacation and travel packages to its 30-million-strong membership, suffered declining sales and revenues through the first half of 2020. Starting in 2H20, the company has seen a partial recovery, although revenues remain down year-over-year. The combination of recovering and a reopening economy with potential consumers sitting on pent up savings, has investors looking upbeat about travel. Travelzoo’s shares have been rising steadily, and steadily faster, over the past 12 months, and the stock has registered a 271% gain in that time. The company’s revenues in Q4 were $12.5 million, down 51% year-over-year – although they were up 78% since the company’s steepest losses in Q2. Earnings show a better tale, as EPS has turned positive, coming in at a 2-cent-per-share profit following four quarters of net losses. Analyst James Goss, of Barrington, lays out a clear bullish case for Travelzoo. “As leisure travel rebounds, there is a significant opportunity to scale revenues back up toward pre-pandemic levels and beyond. We feel this creates a considerable opportunity to leverage those revenue gains against a much more tightly controlled cost base. Though timing of achieving these profit levels is uncertain in the current context that continues to include mostly closed borders, management is clearly determined to not waste the opportunity to improve its profitability metrics as an outgrowth of this crisis,” Goss opined. In light of this outlook, Goss rates the stock an Outperform (i.e. Buy), with a $24 price target to imply a one-year upside of 41%. (To watch Goss’s track record, click here) Travelzoo has picked up three analyst reviews recently, of which two are to Buy and one is to Hold. This gives the stock a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The stock’s $22 average price target suggests an upside potential of ~30% for the next 12 months. (See TZOO stock analysis on TipRanks) Citi Trends (CTRN) Shifting gears, we’ll look at the retail apparel industry, where Citi Trends has been in business since 1946. The company is based in Savannah, Georgia, and operates both online and through a chain of over 570 stores spread across 33 states. Citi Trends offers discounted clothing in the urban market. Citi Trends, as a brick-and-mortar retailer, has been a direct beneficiary of the US consumer’s return to purchasing – and of that consumer’s currently deep pockets. The company’s Q4 sales came in at $251.9 million, the best quarterly result in over two years and up more than 19% year-over-year, while the quarterly EPS, at $1.81, was up 115% from the 84 cents reported in 4Q19. Company management gave forward guidance of 11% to 15% sales growth for 2021. These results came after the previous two quarters had matched pre-COVID revenues, and surpassed pre-COVID earnings, making this the third quarter in a row of solid results. Subsequently, the stock has surged 811% over the past 12 months. In his report for Craig-Hallum, analyst Jeremy Hamblin states his belief that Citi Trends’ recent performance is only the tip of the iceberg. “While guidance beat expectations handily, we continue to see potential upside with plenty of potential benefits coming via the timing of tax refunds and the Easter holiday, along with stimulus money that will benefit the core Citi Trends customer in an outsized manner," Hamblin wrote. The analyst added, "With a majority of CTRN’s customer base comprised of Americans making less than $50K a year, we expect CTRN to see an outsized benefit compared to other retailers from a third round of stimulus money that are set to increase American families’ monthly income for March/April..." To this end, Hamblin rates CTRN a Buy, and he sets a $125 price target that implies an upside of 34% for the year ahead. (To watch Hamblin’s track record, click here) Some stocks fly under the radar, and CTRN is one of those. Hamblin’s is the only recent analyst review of this company, and it is decidedly positive. (See CTRN stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for growth stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
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