1 Unpopular Stock that Deserves a Second Chance and 2 to Think Twice About

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18 hours ago

When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it's worth paying attention. These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.
At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two where the skepticism is well-placed.
Consensus Price Target: $69.91 (5.3% implied return)
Headquartered just outside of Detroit, MI, Masco (NYSE:MAS) designs and manufactures home-building products such as glass shower doors, decorative lighting, bathtubs, and faucets.
Why Is MAS Risky?
Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment
Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company's profitability
At $66.38 per share, Masco trades at 15.3x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than MAS.
Consensus Price Target: $39.33 (3.3% implied return)
With roots dating back to 1982 and a strong presence in the Mid-Atlantic region, United Bankshares (NASDAQ:UBSI) is a bank holding company that provides commercial and retail banking services through its United Bank subsidiary across multiple states.
Why Are We Wary of UBSI?
Sales were flat over the last two years, indicating it's failed to expand this cycle
Net interest income trends were unexciting over the last four years as its 6.4% annual growth was below the typical bank company
Capital trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 7.3% annual tangible book value per share growth was below the typical bank company
United Bankshares's stock price of $38.09 implies a valuation ratio of 1x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with UBSI, check out our full research report (it's free).
Consensus Price Target: $22.89 (-5.6% implied return)
Working in stealth mode for eight years, Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) designs, manufactures, and markets solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation.
Why Do We Love BE?
Impressive 14.5% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates it's winning market share this cycle
Incremental sales significantly boosted profitability as its annual earnings per share growth of 68.2% over the last two years outstripped its revenue performance
Free cash flow margin is now positive, showing the company has crossed a key inflection point
Bloom Energy is trading at $24.24 per share, or 54.1x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it's free.
Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.
While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today