Small-cap stocks can be incredibly lucrative investments because their lack of analyst coverage leads to frequent mispricings. However, these businesses (and their stock prices) often stay small because their subscale operations make it harder to expand their competitive moats.

The downside that can come from buying these securities is precisely why we started StockStory - to isolate the long-term winners from the losers so you can invest with confidence. That said, here are three small-cap stocks to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.

Target Hospitality (TH)

Market Cap: $690.7 million

Building mini-communities at places such as oil drilling sites, Target Hospitality (NASDAQ: TH) is a provider of specialty workforce lodging accommodations and services.

Why Does TH Fall Short?

1. Sluggish trends in its utilized beds suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
2. Sales are projected to tank by 29.3% over the next 12 months as its demand continues evaporating
3. Earnings growth over the last five years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 7.6% annually

Target Hospitality’s stock price of $6.93 implies a valuation ratio of 8.9x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including TH in your portfolio.

Marcus & Millichap (MMI)

Market Cap: $1.16 billion

Founded in 1971, Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI) specializes in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research, and advisory services.

Why Do We Steer Clear of MMI?

1. Products and services aren't resonating with the market as its revenue declined by 3.2% annually over the last five years
2. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model
3. Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam

At $29.87 per share, Marcus & Millichap trades at 299.2x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why MMI doesn’t pass our bar.

DXC (DXC)

Market Cap: $2.90 billion

Born from the 2017 merger of Computer Sciences Corporation and HP Enterprise's services business, DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) is a global IT services company that helps businesses transform their technology infrastructure, applications, and operations.

Why Do We Avoid DXC?

1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
2. Falling earnings per share over the last five years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
3. Underwhelming 1.4% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities, and its decreasing returns suggest its historical profit centers are aging

DXC is trading at $16.02 per share, or 4.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering DXC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Stocks We Like 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.