Volatility cuts both ways - while it creates opportunities, it also increases risk, making sharp declines just as likely as big gains. This unpredictability can shake out even the most experienced investors.
These stocks can be a rollercoaster, and StockStory is here to guide you through the ups and downs. Keeping that in mind, here are three volatile stocks best left to the gamblers and some better opportunities instead.
Manhattan Associates (MANH)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.36
Built on a "versionless" cloud architecture that delivers quarterly updates to all customers, Manhattan Associates (NASDAQ: MANH) develops cloud-based software that helps retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers manage their supply chains, inventory, and omnichannel operations.
Why Is MANH Not Exciting?
- Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 5.7% over the last year did not impress
- Estimated sales growth of 4.1% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
- Bad unit economics and steep infrastructure costs are reflected in its gross margin of 56.3%, one of the worst among software companies
At $214.45 per share, Manhattan Associates trades at 11.9x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why MANH doesn’t pass our bar.
Pursuit (PRSU)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.39
With attractions ranging from glacier tours in the Canadian Rockies to an oceanfront geothermal lagoon in Iceland, Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality (NYSE: PRSU) operates iconic travel experiences, experiential marketing services, and exhibition management across North America and Europe.
Why Does PRSU Worry Us?
- Sales tumbled by 16.4% annually over the last five years, showing consumer trends are working against its favor
- Low free cash flow margin of 1.4% for the last two years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders
- Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction
Pursuit trades at a stock price of $36.60. To fully understand why you should be careful with PRSU, check out our full research report (it’s free).
PNC Financial Services Group (PNC)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.08
Tracing its roots back to 1852 when Pittsburgh's industrial boom demanded stronger financial institutions, PNC (NYSE: PNC) is a diversified financial institution that provides retail banking, corporate banking, and asset management services through a coast-to-coast branch network.
Why Does PNC Give Us Pause?
- Annual net interest income growth of 6.9% over the last five years lagged behind its banking peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
- Net interest margin of 2.7% is well below other banks, signaling its loans aren’t very profitable
- Forecasted tangible book value per share decline of 5.3% for the upcoming 12 months implies profitability will deteriorate significantly
PNC Financial Services Group is trading at $200.40 per share, or 1.5x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than PNC.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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 6 Stocks for this week. 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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