Even if a company is profitable, it doesn’t always mean it’s a great investment. Some struggle to maintain growth, face looming threats, or fail to reinvest wisely, limiting their future potential.

Profits are valuable, but they’re not everything. At StockStory, we help you identify the companies that have real staying power. That said, here are three profitable companies to steer clear of and a few better alternatives.

Sinclair (SBGI)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 13.8%

With over 2,400 hours of local news produced weekly and 640 broadcast channels reaching millions of American homes, Sinclair (NASDAQ: SBGI) operates a network of 185 local television stations across 86 U.S. markets, producing news programming and distributing content from major networks.

Why Are We Out on SBGI?

1. Annual sales declines of 9.2% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
2. Sales were less profitable over the last five years as its earnings per share fell by 21.9% annually, worse than its revenue declines
3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 8.2 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Sinclair’s stock price of $14.20 implies a valuation ratio of 1.9x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SBGI doesn’t pass our bar.

American Express Global Business Travel (GBTG)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 6%

Originally spun off from American Express in 2014 but maintaining the Amex GBT brand, Global Business Travel Group (NYSE: GBTG) provides end-to-end business travel and expense management solutions, connecting corporate clients with travel suppliers and offering specialized software services.

Why Do We Think Twice About GBTG?

1. Estimated sales growth of 5% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
2. Gross margin of 61.1% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
3. Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital

At $8.21 per share, American Express Global Business Travel trades at 1.5x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering GBTG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 10.8%

Founded in 1991, Graphic Packaging (NYSE: GPK) is a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide range of products.

Why Do We Pass on GPK?

1. Declining unit sales over the past two years indicate demand is soft and that the company may need to revise its strategy
2. Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 8.9 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Graphic Packaging Holding is trading at $20.96 per share, or 9.7x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with GPK, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Stocks We Like More

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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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