Mid-cap stocks have the best odds of scaling into $100 billion corporations thanks to their tested business models and large addressable markets. But the many opportunities in front of them attract significant competition, spanning from industry behemoths with seemingly infinite resources to small, nimble players with chips on their shoulders.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are two mid-cap stocks with long growth runways and one that could be down big.

One Mid-Cap Stock to Sell:

Baxter (BAX)

Market Cap: $12.17 billion

With a history dating back to 1931 and products used in over 100 countries, Baxter International (NYSE: BAX) provides essential healthcare products including dialysis therapies, IV solutions, infusion systems, surgical products, and patient monitoring technologies to hospitals and clinics worldwide.

Why Do We Steer Clear of BAX?

1. Sales tumbled by 6.2% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
2. Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn’t resonate with customers
3. Earnings per share fell by 3% annually over the last five years while its revenue was flat, showing each sale was less profitable

Baxter is trading at $23.80 per share, or 9.1x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BAX in your portfolio.

Two Mid-Cap Stocks to Watch:

PTC (PTC)

Market Cap: $24.61 billion

Used to design the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner commercial airplanes, PTC’s (NASDAQ: PTC) software-as-service platform helps engineers and designers create and test products before manufacturing.

Why Does PTC Stand Out?

1. User-friendly software enables clients to ramp up spending quickly, leading to the speedy recovery of customer acquisition costs
2. Healthy operating margin of 30% shows it’s a well-run company with efficient processes, and its profits increased over the last year as it scaled
3. Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends

PTC’s stock price of $204.70 implies a valuation ratio of 8.9x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

FTAI Aviation (FTAI)

Market Cap: $13.96 billion

With a focus on the CFM56 engine that powers Boeing and Airbus’s planes, FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ: FTAI) sells, leases, maintains, and repairs aircraft engines.

Why Are We Backing FTAI?

1. Impressive 41.4% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
2. Incremental sales significantly boosted profitability as its annual earnings per share growth of 67% over the last two years outstripped its revenue performance
3. Cash burn has become less severe over the last five years, showing the company is making some progress toward financial sustainability

At $136.44 per share, FTAI Aviation trades at 25x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out 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 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-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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