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Most investors have the same overarching objective: To mature their prosperity. Some make bets on high-growth shares like Amazon (AMZN 4.44%), which is up near to 10x in the previous 10 several years and about 100x since its initial community offering (IPO) in 1997. A lot of traders turned millionaires by getting large-advancement stocks like Amazon and keeping for the extensive term. 

So, what stock is the next Amazon? I imagine I may well have an response in the South Korean e-commerce system Coupang (CPNG 2.48%). This is why getting this new IPO and keeping the stock lengthy-expression could possibly just help you retire a millionaire. 

Coupang Q1 earnings: a dollars stream inflection

Coupang operates an e-commerce marketplace comparable to Amazon in South Korea. Like its North American counterpart, it developed its very own warehouses and delivery network to give a vertically built-in presenting. Because of this dense logistics network, Coupang can present buyers with exact-day and next-day delivery on virtually all orders, which improves its value proposition as opposed to competition. The e-commerce professional also included even far more options by way of the Coupang marketplace like grocery and meal shipping, which expands its earnings potential from its South Korean purchaser base.

In 2023’s initially quarter, Coupang’s advancement ongoing to outpace over-all South Korean retail shelling out, increasing 20% yr above 12 months on a forex-neutral foundation to $5.8 billion, which is amazing considering it grew 32% 12 months around calendar year in the very same period in 2022.

This progress was driven by 14% year-around-year advancement in profits for each energetic shopper, which strike $323 on a frequent-currency foundation in the very first quarter, demonstrating the results Coupang experienced in expanding its solution vary to its present shoppers.

While development was stable, the most outstanding element of Coupang’s initially quarter was its money movement. Much better financial gain margins and lessen cash expenses served force absolutely free income circulation to $406 million in the quarter, vs . a loss of $294 million a calendar year before.

Part of this was also because of to an raise in accounts payable to $162 million. Like Amazon, Coupang has a permanent doing work-capital benefit mainly because it collects hard cash from consumers at the time of buy but does not pay back the retailers who bought the products and solutions till afterwards (probable within just 90 days). This is not money it can keep endlessly or return to shareholders, but it offers its harmony sheet significantly far more adaptability, compared to other companies, when making new investments.

Coupang saw advancement in Taiwan, a pullback in Japan

With over $20 billion in yearly revenue, Coupang nevertheless has a good deal of place to mature as it tackles the $500 billion South Korean commerce market. But with only a compact inhabitants in its household nation, administration has presently seemed to grow to other Asian nations around the world.

It invested in Japan but lately resolved to exit that current market as it wasn’t observing significantly traction with people. Incumbents like Amazon, which has a large existence in the place, and Rakuten ended up probable difficult to make any inroads towards.

But a person nation in which Coupang is seeing solid returns is Taiwan. The island nation with just under 24 million men and women and high population density could be a best area to replicate Coupang’s vertically integrated e-commerce community in South Korea, which also has a large populace density.

Right now, its worldwide earnings is substantially lesser than its domestic income. But results in Taiwan — and other Asian nations — could continue to keep Coupang’s earnings growing at a substantial amount for quite a few decades.

CPNG Net Income (TTM) Chart

CPNG Internet Money (TTM) data by YCharts. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Really don’t get caught up in Coupang’s valuation

Just wanting at internet revenue, Coupang does not look pretty profitable. Above the past 12 months, the organization produced net revenue of just $208 million on $21 billion in sales, for a trailing cost-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 134. Still sensible traders know that a stock is not value what it has gained in the previous, but what it will gain in the long term.

As Coupang scales up, management expects its gain margins to strike all over 10% or bigger as it gains functioning leverage and grows significant-margin alternatives like promotion. A 10% margin on $20 billion in income equates to $2 billion in earnings and $4 billion on $40 billion in profits. If the enterprise can get anywhere in the vicinity of that selection inside the upcoming few yrs (and most likely $10 billion net cash flow on $100 billion in gross sales even more into the foreseeable future), it is nearly particular that the stock will trade at a market place cap much better than its latest benefit of $28 billion. 

Of study course, no financial investment arrives with a assure, but it seems like Coupang has all the elements of a millionaire-maker stock for investors who approach to maintain for the long term. 

John Mackey, former CEO of Complete Meals Current market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Brett Schafer has positions in Amazon.com and Coupang. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com and Coupang. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.