Where I’m bullish

Ecommerce has changed the way we live, where we can easily buy what we want when we want. Companies like Amazon, Shopify and eBay have all been needed by the public during these confusing times. And this has shown where share value in all companies has seen great growth over 2020. New coronavirus measures mean that we need Ecommerce more now than ever with social distancing in place.

Research shows that the Ecommerce market can grow to $6.542 trillion by 2023. This makes sense as 1.92 billion people purchased goods online in 2019 alone. The more restrictive the coronavirus measures become, the more we need Ecommerce.

Artificial intelligence is another industry that has strong prospects for growth. This is because we use it more every day. The most used social media platforms all have artificial intelligence implemented in their models. Companies such as Instagram and Facebook use AI models to give the user content suited to what they want to see. This is another industry I am confident will see amazing growth over the coming years. With a market value of $39.9 billion in 2019 and growing rapidly, artificial intelligence is something that is going to be used more and more by us.

A stock to take advantage of growing markets

Attraqt (LSE: ATQT) is a company based in the UK using AI algorithms for online retail firms in ecommerce. It creates Ecommerce solutions for businesses looking to get ahead in the competitive growing market. Its platform is used by businesses to create a customer friendly experience for their users. AI  used in its platform creates a personalised experience for shoppers, meaning customers see the things they want. By taking advantage of the rapidly growing AI and Ecommerce markets, Attraqt is definitely a stock to watch in the future.

Where is the growth potential?

Attraqt has a professional team of developers, merchandisers and data scientists creating the platform. Taking a look at its finances, revenue has increased by 13.3% and gross profit by 22.1% from 2018 to 2019. In addition to this, total assets increased by 65.5% in the same year, showing a strong performance for such a new publicly listed company.

Attraqt currently has partnerships with companies such as IBM and Shopify, and does business with known brands such as Boohoo, Asos and more than 300 others. With virus measures getting stricter online, retail seems to be only growing, showing how Attraqt’s solutions can be adopted by many more companies in the future as retail is moved more online. 

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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. James Parker has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of Shopify. The Motley Fool UK has recommended ASOS and boohoo group. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

However, past times of economic stress such as recessions have given us good opportunity to invest in companies before huge growth. Technology companies founded after the 2008 recession that have stood the test of time include Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram.

In addition to this, technology companies such as Apple and Amazon still saw growth after the 2008 recession. Both tech firms have seen growth in share value over the coronavirus period, and this shows how investing in tech giants like Apple can still be worth it. By finding and investing in a tech stock whose products see mass adoption, we can see a massive gain in our portfolio regardless of the economy.

^{A safe investment during tough times}

Tech stock Halma (LSE: HLMA) is a company based in the UK making technology solutions in many different fields, including water analysis, environmental monitoring, health assessments, and others. Halma has had a strong financial performance in the last year, with important measures such as profit and assets increasing. In addition to this, settling liabilities with their debt decreasing. Projects in many different fields have given Halma a strong stance in terms of its financial performance. This shows how safe an investment in Halma is due to its strong standing. 

All of this has been positive for Halma shareholders who have seen healthy growth in their shares. From March 21st, the firm outperformed the FTSE 350 index. New investors may be concerned about future growth since, with a high P/E ratio, growth seems questionable. This doesn’t mean growth of the firm is going to slow down, thoughm as Halma is well diversified with projects. 

_{Don’t miss the opportunity for returns}

Many ideas around how the coronavirus will affect the future of the economy have been flying about, with many people having differing opinions. But one thing that’s for certain is that there is a race to stop the virus.

Growth of the healthcare sector seems certain as long as this virus has an effect on the world. Therefore, companies creating solutions for the problems that the virus brings should see mass adoption in their products and services.

Halma is heavily involved in the healthcare sector. Investments made by Halma such as Bio-Chem Fluidics help cut costs in the medical sector through making medical tools more efficient. Other projects invested in by Halma in the medical sector include precision fluid transfer by Longer Pump and many others. 

This heavy investment in the medical and technology sectors is wise during times where progress in it is so vital. This suggests to me how, as a tech stock, Halma is safe and profitable to invest in. Biotech and healthcare are important for our future while this pandemic has a hold over the world, and Halma is on the frontline of the problem. 

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John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. James Parker does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Halma. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.