The past year hasn't been kind to the stocks featured in this article. Each has tumbled to their lowest points in 12 months, leaving investors to decide whether they're witnessing fire sales or falling knives.
At StockStory, we dig beneath the surface of price movements to uncover whether a company's fundamentals justify its current valuation or suggest hidden potential. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two facing legitimate challenges.
Two Stocks to Sell:
C3.ai (AI)
One-Month Return: -29.2%
Named after the three Cs of its original focus—carbon, cloud computing, and customer relationship management—C3.ai (NYSE: AI) provides enterprise AI software that helps organizations develop, deploy, and operate large-scale artificial intelligence applications across various industries.
Why Do We Pass on AI?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last three years as its 15.5% annual growth was below the typical software company
- Extended payback periods on sales investments suggest the company’s platform isn’t resonating enough to drive efficient sales conversions
- Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating margin losses
C3.ai is trading at $17.33 per share, or 5.5x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why AI doesn’t pass our bar.
Landstar (LSTR)
One-Month Return: -4.9%
Covering billions of miles throughout North America, Landstar (NASDAQ: LSTR) is a transportation company specializing in freight and last-mile delivery services.
Why Is LSTR Risky?
- Sales tumbled by 12.7% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
- Earnings per share have dipped by 27.9% annually over the past two years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
- Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up
At $131.13 per share, Landstar trades at 23.7x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than LSTR.
One Stock to Buy:
Erie Indemnity (ERIE)
One-Month Return: -1.2%
Operating under a unique business model dating back to 1925, Erie Indemnity (NASDAQ: ERIE) serves as the attorney-in-fact for Erie Insurance Exchange, managing policy issuance, claims handling, and investment services for this reciprocal insurer.
Why Should You Buy ERIE?
- Annual revenue growth of 14.4% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Annual book value per share growth of 12.8% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting strong capital accumulation this cycle
- ROE punches in at 27%, illustrating management’s expertise in identifying profitable investments
Erie Indemnity’s stock price of $351.42 implies a valuation ratio of 4.6x trailing 12-month price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.
Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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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