With inflation working scorching, the Federal Reserve mountain climbing rate of interest to get the state of affairs underneath management, and considerations that 2023 will endure an financial downturn, development shares have been underneath strain currently.
Despite sturdy enterprise efficiency, rental specialist Airbnb‘s (ABNB 5.96%) share value has tumbled about 52% from its excessive. Meanwhile, e-commerce participant Wayfair (W 13.42%) has seen a good larger valuation pullback. Its inventory is down a dizzying 84% from its peak.Â
Which of those shares is best positioned to bounce again and put up huge positive aspects for long-term shareholders? Read on to see why two Motley Fool contributors have differing takes on which inventory is extra prone to ship nice returns for buyers.Â

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Airbnb is a good firm buying and selling at an important value
Keith Noonan:Â Along most key enterprise metrics, Airbnb has been serving up a stellar efficiency over the previous 12 months. Obviously, the inventory efficiency has been one other matter, however that is largely because of the difficult macroeconomic backdrop. And it bears repeating simply how sturdy of a 12 months 2022 was for the corporate.Â
With the lessening of pandemic-related headwinds, Airbnb proved that it might ship extremely worthwhile development. Aided by a 29% year-over-year leap in gross sales within the third quarter and an 86% gross margin, the rental specialist’s web revenue jumped 46% 12 months over 12 months to hit $1.2 billion in Q3. Meanwhile, free money move (FCF) surged greater than 80% to achieve $960 million, bringing the corporate’s trailing-12-month FCF whole to $3.3 billion.
With Airbnb’s market capitalization pushed right down to roughly $66 billion following latest sell-offs, the corporate is valued at roughly 20 occasions trailing FCF — a degree that leaves room for long-term buyers to financial institution doubtlessly unbelievable returns with the inventory. The firm’s versatile, asset-light enterprise mannequin is placing up nice outcomes, and the 41% trailing FCF margin that the enterprise has posted seems downright unbelievable, contemplating that Airbnb continues to be very a lot in development mode.
Granted, the corporate is anticipating some development deceleration within the face of a more difficult macroeconomic backdrop. But midpoint steering for gross sales development of roughly 20% in final 12 months’s This autumn and the probability that 2023’s sales-expansion charge will lag final 12 months’s efficiency are hardly deal breakers so far as I’m involved.
Like most firms, Airbnb will see efficiency ebb and move along side macrotrends, however I’ve a excessive degree of conviction that the inventory will ship wins for long-term shareholders.Â
Wayfair might provide long-term acquire for short-term ache
Parkev Tatevosian: If you are going to have a furnishings enterprise, it is best to have it on-line. Renting or proudly owning sufficient ground area to show outsized, cumbersome objects is pricey. That’s exactly what Wayfair has constructed — a web based furnishings enterprise that has grown gross sales from $601 million in 2012 to $13.7 billion in 2021.
The firm highlighted its potential in the course of the first 12 months of the pandemic in 2020. That 12 months, Wayfair grew gross sales by 55% to $14.1 billion, and generated an working revenue of $360 million and earnings per share of $1.86. It was the one 12 months within the final decade when it was worthwhile on the underside line, and it proved to buyers that this enterprise mannequin might ship income in the correct circumstances.
W PS Ratio knowledge by YCharts
Admittedly, the close to time period is a difficult one for Wayfair. Consumers are unleashing pent-up demand for away-from-home experiences, spending much less cash on residence items. Furthermore, inflation is pinching budgets, leaving much less disposable revenue for many who need to replace their residence decor. However, a lot of the headwinds could already be priced into Wayfair’s inventory. Investors should buy shares of Wayfair at a price-to-sales ratio of lower than 0.5, close to the bottom it has traded for within the final a number of years.Â
Which inventory must you purchase?
For starters, buyers ought to take into account whether or not they would like to have publicity to the journey rental trade or the e-commerce trade. Wayfair has seen a good larger valuation pullback than Airbnb and will have extra room for explosive restoration, however its near-term development outlook could also be extra fraught.
On the opposite hand, Airbnb has been posting sturdy enterprise outcomes during the last 12 months, however the firm is going through macroeconomic headwinds, and its a lot bigger market cap suggests it might have extra draw back threat or a tougher path to explosive positive aspects. Each firm provides each alternative and challenges right this moment.