A highly volatile stock can deliver big gains - or just as easily wipe out a portfolio if things go south. While some investors embrace risk, mistakes can be costly for those who aren’t prepared.
These stocks can be a rollercoaster, and StockStory is here to guide you through the ups and downs. Keeping that in mind, here is one volatile stock with massive upside potential and two best left to the gamblers.
Two Stocks to Sell:
Power Integrations (POWI)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.47
A leading supplier of parts for electronics such as home appliances, Power Integrations (NASDAQ: POWI) is a semiconductor designer and developer specializing in products used for high-voltage power conversion.
Why Do We Avoid POWI?
- Flat sales over the last five years suggest it must find different ways to grow during this cycle
- Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 11.7 percentage points
- Falling earnings per share over the last five years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
Power Integrations’s stock price of $50.92 implies a valuation ratio of 29.6x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including POWI in your portfolio.
Knight-Swift Transportation (KNX)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.13
Covering 1.6 billion loaded miles in 2023 alone, Knight-Swift Transportation (NYSE: KNX) offers less-than-truckload and full truckload delivery services.
Why Do We Think KNX Will Underperform?
- Annual revenue growth of 1.2% over the last two years was below our standards for the industrials sector
- Free cash flow margin shrank by 9.5 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
- Eroding returns on capital from an already low base indicate that management’s recent investments are destroying value
Knight-Swift Transportation is trading at $44.78 per share, or 22.8x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why KNX doesn’t pass our bar.
One Stock to Buy:
Construction Partners (ROAD)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.62
Founded in 2001, Construction Partners (NASDAQ: ROAD) is a civil infrastructure company that builds and maintains roads, highways, and other infrastructure projects.
Why Are We Bullish on ROAD?
- Exciting sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months calls for 40.3% growth, an acceleration from its two-year trend
- Earnings growth has trumped its peers over the last two years as its EPS has compounded at 91% annually
- Free cash flow margin has stayed in place over the last five years
At $106 per share, Construction Partners trades at 44.7x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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 6 Stocks for this week. 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 Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
