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2 stocks flirting with a floor; Analysts say “buy”

The stock market ended the first week of 2021 positive, with all three major indices hitting new record highs. The profits come when investors feel confident. The COVID vaccines will be available, and a bigger round of coronavirus stimuli is on the way, according to US President-elect Joe Biden. But even in an emerging market, it is still possible to find some stocks that haven’t joined the general’s profits. These bottoming stocks offer investors choice and opportunity. The choice is whether or not to take the risk; The option is to buy cheaply when the chance of winning is best. Wall Street’s analyst corps knows this and is not afraid to recommend stocks that may have bottomed. Using the TipRanks database, we identified two such stocks. Everyone is clearly in decline, but everyone also has enough upside to warrant a buy rating. BlueCity Holdings (BLCT) we will start with an online platform and non-profit company focused on the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) audience. The company offers a range of online services including online dating, entertainment, health advice, online pharmacy, and family planning. BlueCity provides a connectivity option for users to connect to service providers and platforms. The company has connected more than 50 million registered users in China and other Asian countries, averaging 6.3 million monthly users. Serving a niche audience can be lucrative, and BlueCity has found its move. In the third quarter, the company saw paying user growth of 43.8% year over year and revenue growth of 47.3%. Total sales were $ 43.8 million. BlueCity reported a total of 494,000 paying users on its Blued dating app. Last July, BlueCity held its IPO. The event was successful as the company debuted its shares in the middle of the expected price range and raised over $ 85 million in new capital. At the end of the first day of trading, the BLCT closed at $ 23.43. However, since then the stock has fallen ~ 60%. Analyst Bo Pei, who covers the stock for Oppenheimer, sees a clear path to higher earnings and believes the current low price is a buying opportunity. “BLCT generates 85% of its revenue with live streaming and 6% with membership services. The current membership payment rate is significantly lower than that of their peers. We expect membership in ’22E will add 21% to revenue, which could add to the valuation as the model has better engagement, margins and visibility, “Pei noted. The analyst added,” Though around 50% of its users are outside of China, they only account for ~ 10% of BLCT’s total sales as the overseas monetization features were only recently introduced. BLCT is seeing positive feedback as it is fueling monetization efforts and we expect its overseas sales contribution to increase to 21% in 22E. “So it’s not surprising why Pei is giving BLCT an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating. Its target price of $ 20 supports its bullish stance and suggests a robust uptrend of 97% for 2021. (See BLCT stock analysis on TipRanks) Some Stocks are flying under the radar, and BLCT is one of them. Pei’s is the only recent analyst rating for the company that is downright positive. (See BLCT stock analysis on TipRanks) Strategic Education (STRA) Next up is a private, for-profit education company. Strategic Education is owned from two online universities, Capella and Strayer, and several coding schools, including DevMountain, Generation Code and Hackbright Academy. The company recently completed acquisitions of colleges in Australia and New Zealand. Coronavirus disruption has been tough for STRA and the stock is down 42% in the last 52 weeks Q3 revenue and earnings stayed below expectations and declined year-on-year. The return on sales was $ 239 million with earnings per share of 47 cents. However, in the third quarter, STRA began re-opening in-person courses for students in select cities including Augusta, Georgia and Arlington, Virginia, also reopening on a limited scale. Jeffrey Silber, 5-star analyst at BMO, currently sees both positive and negative aspects in STRA. Commenting on the company’s current position, he writes: “STRA reported mixed results for the third quarter of 20, with Strayer enrollments underperforming, offsetting improvement in Capella enrollments and cost management. While the “outlook” was disappointing, we are cautiously optimistic that this will make the trend “less deteriorate” in 2021. “Looking ahead, Silber believes that STRA’s various schools provide a buffer for the current economy – overall positive for the company. “Strayer U. continues to see declining new enrollments as the demographic data of its students (e.g. students, freshmen) are disproportionately violated during the pandemic. According to the contract, Capella U.’s enrollment was better than expected, as student demographics may be less affected (e.g., graduates who are better able to work from home). “Silver wrote. To that end, Silver rates STRA as an outperform (i.e., buy) and its price target of $ 126 implies an uptrend of 39% over the next 12 months. (To view Silver’s track record, click here.) In the past 3 months, only two other analysts have thrown their hats on STRA. The two additional buy ratings give the stock a strong buy consensus rating. With an average target price of $ 121, investors can take home a 33% gain if the target is met in the next 12 months. (See STRA stock analysis on TipRanks.) To find great ideas for trading rundown stocks at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks ‘Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that brings together all of TipRanks’ stock insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the presented analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important that you do your own analysis before making any investment.