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3 Hyped Up Stocks We Think Twice About

FSTR 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.

However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here are three stocks getting more buzz than they deserve and some you should buy instead.

L.B. Foster (FSTR)

One-Month Return: +10.7%

Founded with a $2,500 loan, L.B. Foster (NASDAQ: FSTR) is a provider of products and services for the transportation and energy infrastructure sectors, including rail products, construction materials, and coating solutions.

Why Does FSTR Give Us Pause?

  1. Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth may not meet our standards as its average backlog growth of 5% for the past two years was weak
  2. Earnings per share fell by 31.4% annually over the last five years while its revenue was flat, partly because it diluted shareholders
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

L.B. Foster’s stock price of $31.02 implies a valuation ratio of 9.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including FSTR in your portfolio.

Luxfer (LXFR)

One-Month Return: +2.4%

With its magnesium alloys used in the construction of the famous Spirit of St. Louis aircraft, Luxfer (NYSE: LXFR) offers specialized materials, components, and gas containment devices to various industries.

Why Do We Pass on LXFR?

  1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 2.5% annually over the last two years
  2. Sales are expected to decline once again over the next 12 months as it continues working through a challenging demand environment
  3. Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam

At $15.19 per share, Luxfer trades at 13.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than LXFR.

Envista (NVST)

One-Month Return: +17.1%

Uniting more than 30 trusted brands including Nobel Biocare, Ormco, and DEXIS under one corporate umbrella, Envista Holdings (NYSE: NVST) is a global dental products company that provides equipment, consumables, and specialized technologies for dental professionals.

Why Do We Think NVST Will Underperform?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 2.9% over the last two years was below our standards for the healthcare sector
  2. Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam
  3. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results

Envista is trading at $28.50 per share, or 19.9x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why NVST doesn’t pass our bar.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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