History shows September tends to drag markets lower, but that doesn’t mean investors should sit on the sidelines. In fact, dips often create the perfect moment to buy strong businesses at better prices. This year, Rubrik, FICO, PayPal, and Hims & Hers stand out as compelling opportunities. From cybersecurity resilience to payment powerhouses and digital healthcare disruption, each is positioned for growth well beyond the month’s volatility. September’s weakness could be your moment of strength.

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September has earned its reputation as Wall Street’s weakest month. Since 1928, the S&P 500 has averaged a 1.2% decline, making it the only month where losses consistently outpace gains. That decline isn’t random. It’s the result of institutional portfolio rebalancing, investors harvesting tax losses, behavioral biases, and the weight of collective psychology.

Sometimes the explanation is as simple as the self-fulfilling prophecy: when everyone believes September will be weak, they sell early. Even modest selling pressure compounds into broader declines.

And yet, history also shows something else: those same red months set the stage for outsized returns. Periods of fear create opportunities for anyone willing to lean in and accumulate high-quality businesses when they’re temporarily marked down.

This year, September brings an added layer: potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Combine that with global tariff negotiations, and you’ve got a market sitting at an inflection point. If volatility rises, the question isn’t “should you hide?” but “which assets deserve more of your ownership?”

Four names rise to the top of that list: Rubrik, FICO, PayPal, and Hims & Hers. Each comes with a unique growth story and structural advantage. Together, they offer a rare mix of resilience, compounding potential, and, right now, discounted entry points.

Data is the lifeblood of modern business. But in an era where ransomware attacks strike every 11 seconds, companies need more than firewalls. They need resilience. That’s where Rubrik comes in.

Rubrik $RBRK ( ▼ 3.51% ) is a cybersecurity firm focused on data protection and cyber resilience. Its technology continuously backs up enterprise data, making those backups immutable—unbreakable even if hackers infiltrate a company’s systems. That means when ransomware strikes, businesses don’t negotiate. They simply restore.

The business isn’t yet profitable, but the trend is undeniable. Gross profit margin and free cash flow margin have both climbed from negative territory to positive, with free cash flow margins hitting 10.6% annually. Management expects free cash flow to break even in Q2, climb in Q3, and strengthen further in Q4.

Rubrik sits in the resilience category, alongside data and identity players, differentiating itself from prevention players like Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, and Zscaler. This isn’t about stopping an attack before it happens—it’s about ensuring business continuity when it does.

Rubrik went public in May and is already drawing comparisons to sector leaders. Analysts place its average price target at $112.50, compared to today’s ~$86.50 share price. For long-term investors, this is a chance to own the company shaping how enterprises secure their future against an inevitable threat.

Every time a bank decides whether to approve a loan, extend a credit card, or underwrite a mortgage, FICO is in the background. Its scoring system isn’t just widely used—it’s entrenched.

Fair Isaac Corporation $FICO ( ▲ 4.33% ) makes its money by licensing its credit scoring models and selling analytic software. The company’s Scores segment represents the backbone of its business, with jaw-dropping 88% operating margins.

On the surface, those multiples look steep. But FICO has compounded earnings per share at 25.8% annually over the last decade and free cash flow at ~20% per year. Its gross margins climbed from 67.7% to 81.7% in that time, while free cash flow margins expanded from 14.5% to 40.2%.

VantageScore often claims rising adoption, but much of its reported “volume” comes free when lenders pull FICO scores. Banks aren’t paying for it—and they’re not replacing FICO.

In short, FICO is a monopoly hiding in plain sight. September’s pullback makes a rare premium business less expensive. Shareholder yield, now sitting at 6%, adds another layer of value.

It’s hard to find a company more misunderstood than $PYPL ( ▲ 2.48% ) . Once a market darling, it now trades like a broken business. But the fundamentals tell a different story.

PayPal remains one of the most widely used digital payment platforms in the world. It earns revenue primarily from transaction fees and increasingly from value-added services like BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later).

Despite skepticism, PayPal reported more active accounts than ever before. Operating margins are at all-time highs, and free cash flow continues to grow. Since new CEO Alex Chriss took over, efficiency has improved and share repurchases have accelerated.

Transaction revenue still drives the bulk of sales. BrainTree slowed its growth as the focus shifted from “growth at all costs” to profitability. But management expects acceleration in Q3 and Q4, with easier year-over-year comps in 2026 likely to reframe sentiment.

PayPal isn’t dying—it’s consolidating. Buying a dominant payment network at 15x earnings, while it retires double-digit percentages of its float annually, is an asymmetric bet. In other words, the downside is capped while the upside, if sentiment turns, is enormous.

Healthcare is ripe for disruption, and Hims & Hers $HIMS ( ▲ 8.33% ) is seizing the moment. Its model cuts through the inefficiencies of traditional medicine by connecting consumers directly to licensed providers through a seamless digital platform.

The company provides telehealth consultations, prescriptions, and subscription-based wellness services. Its platform spans everything from mental health to dermatology to sexual health—and increasingly, weight-loss drugs.

Quarterly growth slowed compared to prior years, but that’s expected as comps get tougher. More importantly, Hims is still scaling rapidly and expanding globally, with a serviceable addressable market of over 100 million consumers.

The stock trades around $41, brushing against its 200-day moving average. Each time it’s dipped here in the past, it’s rebounded strongly. For investors watching technical levels, this could mark an attractive entry point.

Hims isn’t about one product line—it’s about the platform. As consumer trust builds and offerings expand, it could become the go-to healthcare gateway for an entire generation.

September doesn’t have to be a month to dread. Historically, it has punished the impatient—but rewarded those who can look through the noise.

Volatility creates urgency for traders. For long-term investors like you, it creates clarity. Don’t chase every dip, but don’t ignore them either. The right names, at the right prices, can set the foundation for compounding that outlasts the headlines.

In a month colored by fear, these four companies represent not just resilience—but opportunity.

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