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3 Inflated Stocks We Approach with Caution

DOCN Cover Image

Each stock in this article is trading near its 52-week high. These elevated prices usually indicate some degree of investor confidence, business improvements, or favorable market conditions.

While momentum can be a leading indicator, it has burned many investors as it doesn’t always correlate with long-term success. All that said, here are three overhyped stocks that may correct and some you should consider instead.

DigitalOcean (DOCN)

One-Month Return: +1.9%

Built for simplicity in a world of complex cloud solutions, DigitalOcean (NYSE: DOCN) provides a simplified cloud computing platform that enables developers and small businesses to quickly deploy and scale applications.

Why Are We Hesitant About DOCN?

  1. Average ARR growth of 14.2% over the last year has disappointed, suggesting it’s had a hard time winning long-term deals and renewals
  2. Net revenue retention rate of 99.2% shows it has a tough time retaining customers
  3. Sky-high servicing costs result in an inferior gross margin of 59.5% that must be offset through increased usage

DigitalOcean’s stock price of $49.20 implies a valuation ratio of 5x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DOCN.

AIG (AIG)

One-Month Return: +9.6%

With roots dating back to 1919 when it began as a small insurance agency in Shanghai, China, AIG (NYSE: AIG) is a global insurance organization that provides commercial and personal insurance solutions to businesses and individuals across more than 200 countries.

Why Do We Pass on AIG?

  1. 5.8% annual declines in net premiums earned for the past five years indicates policy sales struggled this cycle
  2. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 1% annually
  3. Flat book value per share over the last five years suggest it must find different ways to enhance shareholder value during this cycle

At $84.40 per share, AIG trades at 1.1x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including AIG in your portfolio.

Seacoast Banking (SBCF)

One-Month Return: -2.2%

Founded during the Florida land boom of 1926 and surviving the Great Depression, Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ: SBCF) is a financial holding company that provides commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services throughout Florida.

Why Should You Dump SBCF?

  1. 1.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its banking peers
  2. Incremental sales over the last two years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 1.5% annually while its revenue grew
  3. Projected tangible book value per share decline of 1.8% for the next 12 months points to tough credit quality challenges ahead

Seacoast Banking is trading at $31.62 per share, or 1.1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SBCF doesn’t pass our bar.

Stocks We Like More

Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.

The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here in 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 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 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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