The stocks in this article are all trading near their 52-week highs. This strength often reflects positive developments such as new product launches, favorable industry trends, or improved financial performance.

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 is one stock with the fundamentals to back up its performance and two best left ignored.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Cisco (CSCO)

One-Month Return: +8.4%

Founded in 1984 by a husband and wife team who wanted computers at Stanford to talk to computers at UC Berkeley, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) designs and sells networking equipment, security solutions, and collaboration tools that help businesses connect their systems and secure their digital operations.

Why Does CSCO Fall Short?

1. Products and services are facing end-market challenges during this cycle, as seen in its flat sales over the last two years
2. Free cash flow margin dropped by 5.7 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Cisco is trading at $69.10 per share, or 17.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CSCO doesn’t pass our bar.

Horace Mann Educators (HMN)

One-Month Return: -2.6%

Founded in 1945 and named after the 19th-century education reformer known as the "father of American public education," Horace Mann Educators (NYSE: HMN) is an insurance company that specializes in providing auto, property, life, and retirement products tailored for educators and other public service employees.

Why Are We Hesitant About HMN?

1. Premium trends were unexciting over the last four years as its 6.1% annual growth was below the typical insurance company
2. Annual book value per share declines of 1.7% for the past five years show its capital management struggled during this cycle
3. Below-average return on equity indicates management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

At $42.75 per share, Horace Mann Educators trades at 1.2x forward P/B. If you’re considering HMN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Buy:

W. R. Berkley (WRB)

One-Month Return: -2.5%

Founded in 1967 and operating through more than 50 specialized insurance units across the globe, W. R. Berkley (NYSE: WRB) underwrites commercial insurance and reinsurance through specialized subsidiaries serving industries from healthcare to construction to transportation.

Why Do We Love WRB?

1. Annual net premiums earned growth of 13.6% over the last four years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
2. Share repurchases have amplified shareholder returns as its annual earnings per share growth of 24.7% exceeded its revenue gains over the last five years
3. Exciting book value per share outlook for the upcoming 12 months calls for 26.6% growth, an acceleration from its two-year trend

W. R. Berkley’s stock price of $72.34 implies a valuation ratio of 2.8x forward P/B. 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

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 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% 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