Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it’s worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.
Luckily for you, we at StockStory have no conflicts of interest - our sole job is to help you find genuinely promising companies. That said, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s estimates seem disconnected from reality and some better opportunities to consider.
LifeStance Health Group (LFST)
Consensus Price Target: $9.14 (40.9% implied return)
With over 6,600 licensed mental health professionals treating more than 880,000 patients annually, LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST) provides outpatient mental health services through a network of clinicians offering psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, and therapy across 33 states.
Why Do We Think Twice About LFST?
- Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $1.25 billion, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
- Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 6.6 percentage points
- Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business
LifeStance Health Group’s stock price of $6.49 implies a valuation ratio of 212.8x forward price-to-earnings. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than LFST.
Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN)
Consensus Price Target: $38.80 (21.9% implied return)
With a diverse portfolio of eight FDA-approved medications targeting neurological conditions, Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) develops and markets treatments for central nervous system disorders including epilepsy, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, and migraine.
Why Are We Out on SUPN?
- Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
- Smaller revenue base of $661.8 million means it hasn’t achieved the economies of scale that some industry juggernauts enjoy
- Forecasted revenue decline of 5.5% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff
Supernus Pharmaceuticals is trading at $31.83 per share, or 16.7x forward price-to-earnings. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including SUPN in your portfolio.
ASGN (ASGN)
Consensus Price Target: $61.83 (21.7% implied return)
Evolving from its roots in IT staffing to become a high-end technology consulting powerhouse, ASGN (NYSE: ASGN) provides specialized IT consulting services and staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and U.S. federal government agencies.
Why Do We Think ASGN Will Underperform?
- Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 6.7% annually over the last two years
- Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment
- Earnings per share decreased by more than its revenue over the last two years, showing each sale was less profitable
At $50.80 per share, ASGN trades at 10.1x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ASGN doesn’t pass our bar.
Stocks We Like More
The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.
While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we’re homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and build a durable portfolio 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 175% over the last five years.
Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Axon (+711% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
