Investors looking for hidden gems should keep an eye on small-cap stocks because they’re frequently overlooked by Wall Street. Many opportunities exist in this part of the market, but it is also a high-risk, high-reward environment due to the lack of reliable analyst price targets.

Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. That said, here is one small-cap stock that could amplify your portfolio’s returns and two that may have trouble.

Two Small-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Shoe Carnival (SCVL)

Market Cap: $455.2 million

Known for its playful atmosphere that features carnival elements, Shoe Carnival (NASDAQ: SCVL) is a retailer that sells footwear from mainstream brands for the entire family.

Why Do We Pass on SCVL?

1. Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it’s having trouble bringing new shoppers into its brick-and-mortar locations
2. Smaller revenue base of $1.20 billion means it hasn’t achieved the economies of scale that some industry juggernauts enjoy
3. Estimated sales decline of 1.4% for the next 12 months implies a challenging demand environment

At $16.78 per share, Shoe Carnival trades at 5.8x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SCVL doesn’t pass our bar.

Lancaster Colony (LANC)

Market Cap: $5.24 billion

Known for its frozen garlic bread and Parkerhouse rolls, Lancaster Colony (NASDAQ: LANC) sells bread, dressing, and dips to the retail and food service channels.

Why Does LANC Worry Us?

1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last three years as its 6.7% annual growth was below the typical consumer staples company
2. Modest revenue base of $1.9 billion gives it less fixed cost leverage and fewer distribution channels than larger companies
3. Easily substituted products (and therefore stiff competition) result in an inferior gross margin of 23% that must be offset through higher volumes

Lancaster Colony is trading at $191.60 per share, or 27.6x forward price-to-earnings. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including LANC in your portfolio.

One Small-Cap Stock to Buy:

Tetra Tech (TTEK)

Market Cap: $8.04 billion

With a 50-year legacy of "Leading with Science" and operations on all seven continents, Tetra Tech (NASDAQ: TTEK) provides high-end consulting and engineering services focused on water management, environmental solutions, and sustainable infrastructure for government and commercial clients worldwide.

Why Will TTEK Outperform?

1. Annual revenue growth of 24.8% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
2. Average backlog growth of 19.1% over the past two years shows it has a steady sales pipeline that will drive future orders
3. Performance over the past five years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue

Tetra Tech’s stock price of $30.11 implies a valuation ratio of 20.4x forward price-to-earnings. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs.

While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like 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 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like United Rentals (+322% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.