4 Stocks That May Hit $1,000 Before Google Inc (GOOG)

Europe is a big market for Priceline, and the sovereign debt crisis there has weighed on Priceline’s potential. As the global economy improves and the world begins to embrace leisure and corporate travel again with aplomb, Priceline will be there to lead the way.

Priceline reports next week. You have to go all the way back to the first quarter of 2006 to find the last time that the e-travel leader didn’t beat analyst profit forecasts.

Do the math. Take the flight.

Baidu.com, Inc. (ADR) (NASDAQ:BIDU) — $88.45
There are 180 stocks trading above $100. Did I really have to dig into the double digits for a fourth challenger to the $1,000 finish line? Yes.

Baidu is volatile. China’s leading search engine has been known to go on tears. In fact, it would’ve beaten all four of the companies mentioned earlier to $1,000 three years ago if it hadn’t executed a 10-for-1 stock split.

Yes, Baidu at $1,000 would push its earnings multiple past 100, but it will be an easier feat to manage if China’s online economy improves at a heartier pace than the market is expecting.

There’s an argument to be made that Baidu is wasted here. If things are going that well for Baidu, then surely Google will also be doing well. However, Baidu is a concentrated bet on the world’s most populous nation. China is still early in its online migration, and its economy is growing at a much faster clip than that of the balance of the planet.

Either way, no matter which company hits $1,000 first, it probably bears pointing out that four figures isn’t a finish line. It’s really just a new starting line.

The article 4 Stocks That May Hit $1,000 Before Google originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Rick Aristotle Munarriz.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Aristotle Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Baidu, Google, and Priceline.com. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Baidu, Google, and Priceline.com.

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