We recently published a list of 10 Best Internet Retail Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) stands against other best internet retail stocks to buy now.

What’s Happening In The Internet Retail Sector?

According to a report published by FTI Consulting, the United States e-commerce is experiencing a revival after a period of stagnation post-COVID. After 18 months of slow growth, e-commerce sales began to pick up again in early 2023 as consumers resumed shopping habits that had been altered during the pandemic. The report notes that e-commerce sales growth represented 46% of total retail sales growth in 2023 and surged to 57% in the first quarter of 2024, marking its highest contribution since 2017, excluding pandemic spikes.

Consumers have adopted the trend of shopping online as despite the reopening of physical stores, many consumers continue to prefer online shopping. The report indicates that foot traffic in stores remains lower than pre-pandemic levels, with many Americans choosing to shop online rather than visit physical locations. This shift suggests a long-term change in consumer behavior, as evidenced by ongoing declines in in-store visits and increased e-commerce market share.

Talking about the pandemic era from 2020 to 2022 total retail sales in the United States (excluding auto and gas) increased by 31%, compared to only 12.2% from 2017 to 2019. The report suggests this translates to an additional $1.9 trillion in retail spending above pre-COVID norms. This increased spending benefited the e-commerce segment as it was able to capture 87% of the increase in total retail spending during the height of the pandemic lockdowns.

Looking forward, the United States’ e-commerce sales are projected to grow at a sustainable rate of high to mid-single digits annually. This is a significant slowdown from the mid-teens growth rates seen before COVID but still sufficient for continued market share gains against traditional retail channels.

Moreover, the report also highlighted that newcomers including Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop are entering the US e-commerce market. These newcomers are disrupting the established players through a strategy of becoming low-cost retailers. For instance, Temu achieved $14 billion in global gross merchandise value (GMV) sales in 2023 and is targeting $30 billion for 2024. On the other hand, Shein captured 40% of the fast fashion market domestically and had an estimated global GMV of $42 billion in 2023. Moreover, TikTok Shop was launched in 2023 and is aiming for $50 billion in global e-commerce sales by 2024.

The report suggests that while these platforms may attract budget-conscious consumers, they may not significantly threaten established e-commerce giant’s dominance due to perceived differences in product quality and brand positioning.

Looking ahead as per FTI Consulting the US online retail sales are expected to hit $1.2 trillion in 2024 translating to a 9.8% increase year-over-year. Moreover, the e-commerce market share is also expected to increase from 21.6% in 2023 to 22.7% by the end of the current year.

Moreover, some of the key trends identified by the reports are a sharp increase in the closing of physical retail stores due to increased labor costs, rents, and the feasibility of selling online. In addition to this, another key trend is the use of artificial intelligence among internet retailers, which helps engage with customers more closely and enables a personalized shopping experience.

We have also covered the 7 Best E-commerce Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“E-commerce is growing faster than expected and as new avenues of selling online open up, companies are bound to keep up with trends and innovative strategies. According to a report by Forbes, the e-commerce industry is expected to grow to a valuation of $7.9 trillion by 2027 from $6.3 trillion in 2024. In 2027, 23% of retail purchases are expected to be made online, up from 20.1% in 2024.

In the United States, low-income households, with a yearly income of $50,000 or less, happened to spend the most on online spending compared to other groups. On October 17, Reuters reported that retail sales in September increased, as gas prices fell, allowing consumers to spend elsewhere. Overall, the average consumer in the United States spent mostly on clothing, health and personal care stores, and miscellaneous items. Amid rising consumer confidence and spending, the Atlanta Fed raised its GDP estimates for Q3 to 3.4%, up from a previous guidance of 3.2%. Overall, retail sales grew by 0.4% last month.”

Our Methodology

To compile the list of 10 best internet retail stocks to buy now we used the Finviz stock screener. Using the screener, we shortlisted the internet retail stocks by their market capitalization. Next we used Insider Monkey’s Q2 2024 hedge funds database to rank the stocks by the number of hedge fund holders. Please note that the stocks are arranged in ascending order of the number of hedge funds.

Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 59

JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is a leading e-commerce company primarily focused on online retail and marketplace operations in China. It operates through four main platforms including JD Retail, JD Logistics, and New Businesses.

JD Retail is the largest segment, accounting for nearly 90% of the company’s net revenue, and focuses on direct online retail and marketplace services across a wide range of products. On the other hand, the JD Logistics segment has developed a comprehensive infrastructure, including warehouses and delivery networks, which enhances the efficiency of product delivery.

The company like any other e-commerce company generates its revenue from direct sales, marketplace commission, logistics services, and other value-added services. The competitive edge of JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) lies in its ability to drive strong revenue growth. As per the company’s statistics, the company has grown its net revenue at a compound annual growth rate of 19% from 2018 to 2023.

Moreover, during the second quarter of fiscal 2024, the company crossed $4 billion in revenue. Its second-quarter revenue came in at 291.4 billion RMB, which is approximately $4.1 billion. During the quarter the revenue grew by 1.2% year-over-year, driven by a robust performance in the logistics segment, which improved 8% during the same time.

Management has expanded its reach outside China as well. On November 1st the company announced expanding its services to Malaysia and Thailand. This move is expected to improve the sales for the retail segment which is the major segment of the company but only grew 1% year-over-year during the second quarter.

JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is one of the best internet retail stocks to buy now and was held by 59 hedge funds in Q2 2024, as per Insider Monkey’s database.

Ariel Global Fund stated the following regarding JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

“We initiated a position in China-based technology-driven E-commerce company, JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD). The brand has long been known across the region as a superior online shopping channel due to its unique first-party model and unparalleled fulfillment service underpinned by JD Logistics. Yet, a challenging macro environment drove shares lower as shoppers began seeking bargains. In response, the company made significant investments in elevating its third-party merchant platform to enhance its variety of product offerings and price competitiveness for consumers. We believe these actions will yield an improved product mix, stronger top-line growth and margin expansion on a go-forward basis.”

Overall, JD ranks 7th on our list of best internet retail stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of JD to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for a promising AI stock that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.