Value investing has created more billionaires than any other strategy, like Warren Buffett, who built his fortune by purchasing wonderful businesses at reasonable prices. But these hidden gems are few and far between - many stocks that appear cheap often stay that way because they face structural issues.

This distinction between true value and value traps can challenge even the most skilled investors. Luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you uncover exceptional companies. That said, here is one value stock offering a compelling risk-reward profile and two best left ignored.

Two Value Stocks to Sell:

Toll Brothers (TOL)

Forward P/E Ratio: 7.2x

Started by two brothers who started by building and selling just one home in Pennsylvania, today Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) is a luxury homebuilder across the United States.

Why Do We Think Twice About TOL?

1. Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth won’t meet our standards as its backlog averaged 2% declines over the past two years
2. Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 3.4%
3. 8.4 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

Toll Brothers’s stock price of $107 implies a valuation ratio of 7.2x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including TOL in your portfolio.

Acadia Healthcare (ACHC)

Forward P/E Ratio: 9.4x

With a network of over 250 facilities serving patients in 38 states and Puerto Rico, Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ: ACHC) operates facilities providing mental health and substance use disorder treatment services across the United States.

Why Does ACHC Worry Us?

1. Disappointing admissions over the past two years indicate demand is soft and that the company may need to revise its strategy
2. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its adjusted operating margin to decline by 4.8 percentage points
3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 30 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Acadia Healthcare is trading at $25.64 per share, or 9.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ACHC, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Value Stock to Buy:

Energy Recovery (ERII)

Forward P/E Ratio: 15x

Having saved far more than a trillion gallons of water, Energy Recovery (NASDAQ: ERII) provides energy recovery devices to the water treatment, oil and gas, and chemical processing sectors.

Why Is ERII a Top Pick?

1. Market share has increased this cycle as its 15.1% annual revenue growth over the last two years was exceptional
2. Offerings are difficult to replicate at scale and result in a best-in-class gross margin of 69.4%
3. Share repurchases over the last two years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 71.9% to outpace its revenue gains

At $12.28 per share, Energy Recovery trades at 15x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs.

While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years.

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.