Zoom could soar another 57% as work-from-home will continue long after the pandemic era, says a senior stock analyst
- D.A. Davidson's Rishi Jaluria believes Zoom will be an essential product long after the coronavirus vaccine is deployed and workers return to offices.
- The managing director and senior research analyst told CNBC on Wednesday Zoom could surge another 57% to $600 following its incredible rally this year.
- "No one is going to be a hundred percent remote or 100% in the office, and I think zoom for example, is a critical part of making that happen," the analyst said.
- Shares of Zoom slipped as low as 6.9% shortly after the Wednesday opening bell.
- Watch Zoom trade live here.
D.A. Davidson's Rishi Jaluria believes Zoom will be an essential service long after the coronavirus vaccine is deployed and workers return to offices. The managing director and senior research analyst told CNBC on Wednesday Zoom could surge another $600, a 57% upside from current levels, following a massive rally this year.
Jaluria explained that the nature of work has been "irreversibly changed" by the coronavirus pandemic, and he anticipates that the future of work will be a hybrid of remote and in-person activity.
"No one is going to be a hundred percent remote or 100% of the office, and I think zoom for example, is a critical part of making that happen," the analyst said.
If investors had to name one stock of the year for 2020, it'd likely be Zoom. The virtual conferencing software company skyrocketed roughly 500% this year as video calls went from a less-adequate substitute for a "real" meeting to the only way to conduct business.
After such an massive rally, some investors may be doubtful that the stock could go any higher. But Jaluria said the benefits of Zoom will be long-lasting.
Zoom has pared back some gains from its highs in October, and Jaluria said now is a great buying opportunity for the company. Shares dropped 6.9% shortly after the open on Wednesday to as low as $380.
The analyst added that he sees opportunities in other work-from-home stocks including Fastly, Twilio, Docusign, and RingCentral, which are all providing necessary services for enabling the hybrid work future, he said.
"I do think a lot of these names have a good amount of upside, especially because I feel like the market is starting to actually trade down a lot of these work from home names because they think post pandemic, that benefit fades away," said Jaluria. "And as we think about this future of work, I think it's fair to say that these benefits aren't short-term, they are very long lasting [and] irreversible."