Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.
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 Wall Street’s pessimism is creating a buying opportunity and two facing legitimate challenges.
Two Stocks to Sell:
MSC Industrial (MSM)
Consensus Price Target: $87.50 (3.9% implied return)
Founded in NYC’s Little Italy, MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE: MSM) provides industrial supplies and equipment, offering vast and reliable selection for customers such as contractors
Why Do We Avoid MSM?
- Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
- Earnings per share have dipped by 4.4% annually over the past five years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
MSC Industrial’s stock price of $84.21 implies a valuation ratio of 19.7x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including MSM in your portfolio.
FTI Consulting (FCN)
Consensus Price Target: $166 (-1.6% implied return)
With a team of experts deployed across 30+ countries to tackle complex business challenges, FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) is a global business advisory firm that helps organizations manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes across financial, legal, operational, and regulatory matters.
Why Are We Wary of FCN?
- Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 2.7 percentage points
- 9.1 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position
- ROIC of 13.9% reflects management’s challenges in identifying attractive investment opportunities
At $168.78 per share, FTI Consulting trades at 19.6x forward P/E. If you’re considering FCN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
One Stock to Buy:
Bloom Energy (BE)
Consensus Price Target: $87.98 (-33.9% 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 Are We Backing BE?
- Market share has increased this cycle as its 19.1% annual revenue growth over the last five years was exceptional
- Free cash flow profile has moved into positive territory over the last five years, indicating the company has passed a significant test
- Returns on capital are increasing as management’s prior bets are starting to bear fruit
Bloom Energy is trading at $133.10 per share, or 181.7x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
Stocks We Like Even More
Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.
Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum 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 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
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