With all the volatility in the stock market right now, it’s becoming easier to build a portfolio of FTSE 100 stocks trading at cheaper prices. And over time, by investing in high-quality companies at a discount, investors can go on to earn some pretty impressive returns – potentially even more than doubling their money.
Here’s how.
Where to start?
When hunting for FTSE 100 bargains, they’re usually in the places where most people aren’t looking. That’s why some of the best buying opportunities are often among the stocks that are least popular. And given they’ve taken a steep tumble over the last six months, the following three companies certainly seem to fit nicely into this category.
- Rightmove (LSE:RMV) – down 38%.
- Autotrader Group – down 38%.
- 3i Group – down 36%.
Now that we’ve narrowed down the list, the next step is to start digging into the details to understand what’s going on. After all, stocks don’t just fall for no reason. The task is to figure out what that reason is and whether or not the investors have overreacted.
So let’s take a look at one of the worst performers on the list: Rightmove
What happened to Rightmove?
From FTSE 100 darling to outcast, Rightmove’s market-cap has fallen so dramatically. That’s despite the leading online property portal continuing to dominate its market. What happened?
Rightmove shares began sliding in August 2025 after enjoying an impressive rally. But it wasn’t until last November that the shares really started to get sold off.
The catalyst was a profit warning, triggered not because the business is struggling, but because management announced aggressive artificial intelligence (AI) investment plans that would sacrifice near-term performance in favour of long-term growth.
Since then, the company has been served with a £1.5bn class action lawsuit accusing the platform of abusing its dominant market position and charging excessive and unfair fees. And combined, these headwinds have created a perfect storm of cautious uncertainty.
But as experienced investors know, the best time to buy is “when there is blood in the streets”. So is now the time to take advantage?
Here’s what I think
Starting with the AI investment headwinds, I don’t believe there’s cause for major concern. The company has a history of heavy tech investment in its platform. And historically, this continuous platform innovation is how Rightmove became the de facto choice for home buyers and sellers.
Obviously, there’s no guarantee management will successfully deliver its ambitions of AI-driven double-digit revenue and earnings growth by 2030. But given its track record, I remain optimistic.
What about the lawsuit? This threat certainly can’t be ignored. But it’s important to recognise it’s a long-duration threat.
A similar lawsuit filed against Visa and Mastercard in 2016 took roughly eight years to resolve. Furthermore, the abuse of dominance claim has an exceptionally high bar to prove in court, making an out-of-court settlement the most likely outcome.
Overall, I think there remains a compelling bull case.
With the market pricing Rightmove shares at their lowest level in almost six years, the risk-to-reward ratio at today’s valuation could be an attractive entry point to consider for long-term growth investors willing to be patient, especially since a full eventual recovery to where the stock was trading in August would double an investment made today.
