Key Points
Although investors turned on Chewy stock after the pandemic, the company never stopped growing.
For the first time in years, Target is on track for sales growth.
When it comes to investing, small investors may only have an amount of around $2,000 to either start a portfolio or add to their holdings. While that may not sound like a lot of money, some investors have built fortunes on less, and certainly, a comparatively modest goal like doubling your money is well within reach.
Admittedly, events or actions that you cannot anticipate may derail an investment thesis. Nonetheless, barring such an event, these two retail stocks are in a position to double in value.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
Chewy
Although it performed well in the early part of the decade, many investors may have forgotten about Chewy (NYSE: CHWY) stock. During the pandemic, the online pet retailer surged in popularity as locked-down consumers shopped at home, and customers responded well to its low prices and focus on customer service.
Unfortunately, investors turned on Chewy when more customers returned to offline shopping, and the stock became an afterthought. The stock has traded in a range since the middle of 2022, and it is down by almost 80% from its pandemic highs.
However, investors who watched more closely saw that its sales did not stop growing just because the pandemic ended. Chewy seems to have taken a page from retailers like Amazon and added new promotions and business lines.
Similar to Amazon Prime, Chewy Plus offers free shipping with no minimums, 5% rewards on every order, and other exclusive offers for an annual fee. Also, Chewy has branched out into pharmaceuticals for pets, and it now offers telehealth services for pets.
Amid its offerings, analysts forecast 6% revenue growth for fiscal 2025. They expect that to rise to 8% in the next fiscal year, implying that its new business initiatives will affect its financials positively.
Improving valuations could bring its stock the catalyst it finally needs to begin the recovery. For now, its P/E ratio is 52, which may appear high considering the S&P 500 average of 29.
Still, the forward P/E of 16 should make the stock more attractive, especially when also considering its consistent revenue growth. At today's stock price, $1,065 will buy about 42 shares, providing a starting position where investors can capitalize on a likely recovery.
Target
At first glance, Target (NYSE: TGT) may look like it's closer to the worst choice for doubling your money than the best. Issues such as high inventories, a lack of desirable offerings, messy stores, and controversial political stances have led to Target missing the mark with customers and investors alike over the last few years.
As a result, the stock is down by over 55% from its peak in 2021. Moreover, same-store sales as well as profits have remained on a downtrend. In fiscal 2025 (ended Jan. 31), revenue of $105 billion is down 2% from year-ago levels. Also, rising expenses and higher depreciation led to a net income of $3.7 billion, a 9% decline compared to fiscal 2024.
Fortunately, the company may finally be ready for a turnaround. Michael Fiddelke, who has been with the company since 2003, became CEO on Feb. 1. He has announced plans to invest $5 billion in remodeling and reformatting stores, hiring more employees, improving its technology and supply chain efficiency, and revamping its products.
Target once stood out as an "upscale discounter," and such moves could return it to its roots. Investors may also see a light at the end of the tunnel as it forecasts a sales increase of around 2% for fiscal 2026. That may not sound huge, but since net sales have fallen every year since 2022, this is a welcome change, and so far, Target stock is crushing the market as a result.
Additionally, its troubles have not derailed its 54 straight years of payout hikes. With that, the dividend of $4.56 per share yearly offers a yield of 3.9%, far above the S&P 500 average of 1.2%.
Finally, Target's P/E ratio of 14 is far below archrival Walmart's 46 times earnings. At today's prices, $935 will buy about eight shares, and that low valuation gives Target room to double as the stock shows signs of improvement.
Should you buy stock in Chewy right now?
Before you buy stock in Chewy, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Chewy wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $514,000!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,029!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 930% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 187% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 16, 2026.
Will Healy has positions in Target. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Chewy, Target, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
