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. Keeping that in mind, here are three small-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Magnachip (MX)
Market Cap: $105.3 million
With its technology found in common consumer electronics such as TVs and smartphones, Magnachip Semiconductor (NYSE: MX) is a provider of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors.
Why Do We Avoid MX?
- Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 16.3% annually over the last five years
- 11.1 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
- Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders
At $3.02 per share, Magnachip trades at 0.6x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including MX in your portfolio.
Ducommun (DCO)
Market Cap: $1.38 billion
California’s oldest company, Ducommun (NYSE: DCO) is a provider of engineering and manufacturing services for high-performance products primarily within the aerospace and defense industries.
Why Do We Think Twice About DCO?
- Backlog growth averaged a weak 3.8% over the past two years, suggesting it may need to tweak its product roadmap or go-to-market strategy
- Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 1.4% for the last five years
- Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively
Ducommun’s stock price of $92.54 implies a valuation ratio of 22.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with DCO, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Integral Ad Science (IAS)
Market Cap: $1.48 billion
Founded in 2009, Integral Ad Science (NASDAQ: IAS) provides digital advertising verification and optimization solutions, ensuring that ads are viewable by real people in brand-safe environments across various platforms and devices.
Why Does IAS Fall Short?
- 15.4% annual revenue growth over the last three years was slower than its software peers
- Capital intensity will likely increase as its free cash flow margin is anticipated to drop by 6.7 percentage points over the next year
Integral Ad Science is trading at $9 per share, or 2.4x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than IAS.
Stocks We Like More
Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.
The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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 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
StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
