Dirt Cheap Stocks to Buy With $1,000 Right Now
Key Points
Cosmetics maker e.l.f. Beauty has a huge opportunity with its Rhode brand.
Pet e-commerce site Chewy has turned into a great margin expansion story.
Toymaker JAKKS is a a cheap stock with potential catalysts this year and next.
- 10 stocks we like better than Chewy ›
Even as the market has surged to near all-time highs, plenty of stocks have been left behind in this recent rally. This is particularly true in the consumer space, where tariffs, high gasoline prices, and worries over the state of the consumer persist.
Nonetheless, this tends to be one of the best places to find great stocks outside of tech -- and many are on sale and dirt cheap. If you have $1,000 to invest, here are three great options in the consumer space.
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e.l.f. Beauty: A growth stock at a low price
Cosmetics maker e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is a growth stock with a big opportunity. Despite that, it only trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 15, based on 2026 analyst estimates. This is for a company that has consistently been able to take share in the mass cosmetics space over the past several years.
Meanwhile, the company has a huge opportunity to grow its recently acquired premium skincare brand, Rhode. The Hailey Bieber-founded brand took the market by storm, selling just a handful of products through its website with little marketing.
The company now has the opportunity to gradually expand its product assortment, increase its distribution, and plug it into its powerful influencer marketing platform. The company started selling Rhode at LVMH's Sephora stores last fall to great success and should have a long runway for growth in the coming years.
Chewy: A margin expansion story
Pet e-commerce operator Chewy (NYSE: CHWY) has one of the best business models in all of retail: autoshipping pet food and other pet necessities to its customers on a regular basis. Meanwhile, the stock is cheap, trading at a forward P/E of less than 14, based on 2026 analyst estimates.
Chewy has been seeing solid revenue growth, but more than anything, it is a margin-expansion story. The company's goal is to reach 10% adjusted EBITDA margins, up from the 5.7% it delivered last fiscal year, and it is working toward this target in multiple ways. This includes pursuing higher gross margin revenue streams, including sponsored ads, private label brands, pet pharmacy, and vet care services. It is also turning toward artificial intelligence (AI) to become more efficient and continues to ramp up a new state-of-the-art, highly automated fulfillment center.
The company saw its EBITDA margins climb by 90 basis points last year, and it expects them to expand another 100 basis points this year. This is leading to strong operating leverage, with adjusted EBITDA expected to surge around 27% this year. With a lot of growth ahead and a generally recession-resistant business, Chewy stock is a great buy right now.
JAKKS Pacific: An anime opportunity
Toymaker JAKKS Pacific (NASDAQ: JAKK) is a bargain stock with a nice potential catalyst this year and next. It current trades at a forward P/E of 10 times 2026 analyst estimates and under 7 times 2027 estimates.
The company has been very disciplined in a tough consumer environment for toys, as demonstrated by the company achieving its highest gross margins in more than 15 years in 2025 despite lower sales. Meanwhile, a robust kids' movie slate with the potential for several blockbuster titles bodes well for the company, as it has a thriving licensed toy and costume business that generally flourishes when there are hit children's movies.
At the same time, the company plans to launch its most ambitious new venture ever, starting next year with a new "large-scale next-generation anime, manga, and digital creator cultural platform." JAKKS said it will be backed by top-tier anime partners and will design and make a wide range of anime and manga products, including collectibles, costumes, plush toys, and figurines.
The anime and manga market is huge, not just in the U.S. but internationally. It also tends to be more adult-oriented, so products will come at high price points and margins. While JAKKs will be investing in tooling and marketing, this could be a real game changer for the company moving forward.
Should you buy stock in Chewy right now?
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Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Chewy, JAKKS Pacific, LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, and e.l.f. Beauty. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chewy and e.l.f. Beauty. The Motley Fool recommends Lvmh Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Société Européenne. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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