The Newest Stock in the S&P 500 Has Soared 315% Since Its 2019 IPO, and It's a Buy Right Now, According to Wall Street
Key Takeaways
This company has a strong history of growth and a long runway ahead.
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investment
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July 5, 2025
12:11 PM
The Motley Fool
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This company has a strong history of growth and a long runway ahead
The S&P 500 is widely regarded as the most comprehensive gauge of the U
Stock market, made up of the 500 leading publicly traded companies in the country
Given the extensive reach of the es that comprise the index, it is hailed as the most reliable benchmark of overall stock market performance
To be considered for admission to the S&P 500, a company must meet the ing criteria: Be a U. -based company Have a market cap of at least $20. 5 billion Be highly liquid Have at least 50% of its outstanding s available for trading Be fitable based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in the most recent quarter Be fitable over the preceding four quarters in aggregate Datadog (DDOG 15. 77%) is the addition to the S&P 500, scheduled to join the benchmark on July 9
That makes it one of only five companies to make the cut so far this year
Since its initial public offering (IPO) in late 2019, Datadog has soundly thrashed the market, generating gains of 315%, compared to just 109% for the S&P 500 (as of this writing)
The stock price gains have been fueled by its robust underlying fundamentals, as its revenue has jumped 694% and net income has soared 2,670%
Yet, despite the stock's impressive performance and the company's strong track record of growth, many believe the runway ahead is long for Datadog
Let's examine the opportunity ahead and why Wall Street considers the stock a strong buy despite its premium valuation
Image source: Getty Images
Top of its game The digital transformation is, driven by the continued adoption of cloud computing and the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI)
Many companies are heavily reliant on their digital presence, and they need a way to continually monitor their websites, apps, servers, and other cloud-based systems to ensure they stay up and running
That's where Datadog comes in
The company's sophisticated monitoring and analytics platform continuously tracks cloud-based systems, cesses millions of data points every hour, and notifies developers of issues before they result in critical downtime
Datadog's software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools go further, getting to the root of the blem to help prevent it from recurring
Datadog boasts a lengthy list of industry accolades that underscore the strength of its monitoring and security solutions
It was selected as a leader in the 2024 Magic Quadrant by Gartner for observability platforms
It was also named in the Forrester Wave report for artificial intelligence ops platforms (AIOps) for the second quarter of 2025
There are more examples, but you get the point
The numbers tell the tale Don't take my word for it
Datadog's most recent results paint a convincing picture
In the first quarter, revenue of $762 million grew 25% year over year, resulting in adjusted earnings per (EPS) of $0
Perhaps as importantly, the company's free cash flow continues to march higher, rising to $244 million, an increase of 30%
The strong financial results were fueled by equally robust execution
Datadog's customer base increased to 30,500, up 9%, while customers spending $100,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR) jumped 13% to 3,770
Furthermore, existing customers are expanding their relationships: 83% of customers are using two or more ducts, up from 82%. 51% are using four or more ducts, up from 47%. 28% are using six or more ducts, up from 23%. 13% are using eight or more ducts, up from 10%
This land-and-expand strategy, combined with the introduction of new ducts -- particularly those focused on the adoption of AI -- bodes well for Datadog's future
Wall Street is bullish Datadog lowered its guidance earlier this year in response to the on-again, off-again tariffs, but Wall Street remains bullish
Of the 46 analysts that covered the stock thus far in July, 38 rate it a buy or strong buy, 8 label it a hold, and not one recommends selling
Analysts at Loop Capital are among the most bullish, maintaining a buy rating and $200 price target on the stock, which suggests potential upside of 48% for investors, compared to the stock's closing price on Wednesday
The analysts cite Datadog's growth trajectory and increasing total addressable market (TAM) -- which the company believes will hit $175 billion by 2034 -- as the foundation for their optimistic call
Furthermore, they believe Datadog's free cash flow will climb to $7. 9 billion over the coming decade, which helps illustrate the company's long-term growth potential
To be, Datadog has never been cheap
The stock is currently selling for just 76 times next year's earnings and 14 times next year's sales
However, the most commonly used valuation metrics struggle with high-growth companies, and Datadog is no different
When measured using the more appriate forward price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio, the multiple comes in at 0. 4; any number less than 1 is the standard for an undervalued stock
Given its long history of growth, strong secular tailwinds, and Wall Street's bullish take, I would submit that Datadog is a buy
Danny Vena has positions in Datadog
The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Datadog
The Motley Fool recommends Gartner
The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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