Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where Wall Street’s excitement appears well-founded and two where its enthusiasm might be excessive.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Pool (POOL)

Consensus Price Target: $329.27 (33.5% implied return)

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Louisiana, Pool (NASDAQ: POOL) is one of the largest wholesale distributors of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products.

Why Are We Out on POOL?

1. 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
2. Projected sales growth of 3.1% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
3. Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability

At $246.73 per share, Pool trades at 21.9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than POOL.

Walker & Dunlop (WD)

Consensus Price Target: $92.33 (40.7% implied return)

Originating as a small mortgage banking firm during the Great Depression in 1937, Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD) provides commercial real estate financing, property sales, appraisal, and investment management services with a focus on multifamily properties.

Why Are We Hesitant About WD?

1. Annual net interest income declines of 43.8% for the past five years show its loan book struggled during this cycle
2. Earnings per share fell by 6.7% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
3. Products and services are facing significant credit quality challenges during this cycle as tangible book value per share has declined by 4.4% annually over the last five years

Walker & Dunlop’s stock price of $65.62 implies a valuation ratio of 1.2x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WD in your portfolio.

One Stock to Buy:

Coastal Financial (CCB)

Consensus Price Target: $131.20 (25.3% implied return)

Pioneering the intersection of traditional banking and financial technology in the Pacific Northwest, Coastal Financial (NASDAQ: CCB) operates as a bank holding company that provides traditional banking services and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) solutions to consumers and businesses.

Why Are We Backing CCB?

1. Impressive 42.5% annual net interest income growth over the last five years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
2. Differentiated product suite leads to a Strong performance of its loan book leads to a High-yielding loan book and low cost of funds result in a best-in-class net interest margin of 7.2%
3. Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last five years, increasing by 22.2% annually

Coastal Financial is trading at $104.75 per share, or 3.4x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in 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 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 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. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

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