4 High-Risk Stocks Built for Big Returns
2026-10-14 10:08
•Lee Samaha •The Motley Fool
••••••• ••••••• Axe Cap view
High-Risk, High-Reward: Why These 4 Stocks Matter Less for SA Investors
Four promising US biotech and tech innovators can’t be ignored, but South African exposure is limited.
These four high-risk names — Agios, Navitas, Joby Aviation, and Viking Therapeutics — are chasing big breakthroughs. From sickle cell drugs to AI chips and electric flying taxis, the potential is exciting but highly speculative. None of these companies are listed on the JSE, and their storylines don’t have a clean play through South African counters. Instead, the main local link is through USD/ZAR. A prolonged US tech rally or biotech breakthrough could boost risk appetite and harden the rand. For example, Navitas’s AI chip ambitions connect indirectly to Nvidia’s expansion in AI infrastructure, which is a global trend affecting South African tech-linked stocks like Prosus and Naspers. But the path is long, regulatory risks are huge, and success timelines uncertain. So South African investors should treat this as a watch area rather than an actionable buy today. If the rand weakens materially, it might offer better entry points for tech or growth exposures here. this is just our opinion and not financial advice
Avoid direct exposure to these names but watch USD/ZAR closely for signals. Consider trimming some high-growth tech locally and reallocating if the rand weakens past 19 per USD.
- USD/ZAR
- Naspers
- Prosus
- FDA or regulatory setbacks
- US tech market downturn affecting risk sentiment
5/10
The article highlights four high-risk, high-reward stocks: Agios Pharmaceuticals awaiting FDA approval for mitapivat to treat sickle cell disease; Navitas Semiconductor pivoting toward AI data centers and high-power chips; Joby Aviation developing eVTOL transportation services with autonomous capabilities; and Viking Therapeutics developing obesity drug VK2735 with potential in a multi-billion dollar market. All require patience but offer significant upside if their respective catalysts materialize.
Our take is based on reporting first published by The Motley Fool.