Hitting a new 52-week low can be a pivotal moment for any stock. These floors often mark either the beginning of a turnaround story or confirmation that a company faces serious headwinds.

Price charts only tell part of the story. Our team at StockStory evaluates each company's underlying fundamentals to separate temporary setbacks from structural declines. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks facing legitimate challenges and some alternatives worth exploring instead.

Wendy's (WEN)

One-Month Return: -5.7%

Founded by Dave Thomas in 1969, Wendy’s (NASDAQ: WEN) is a renowned fast-food chain known for its fresh, never-frozen beef burgers, flavorful menu options, and commitment to quality.

Why Is WEN Not Exciting?

1. Weak same-store sales trends over the past two years suggest there may be few opportunities in its core markets to open new restaurants
2. Projected sales decline of 2.1% for the next 12 months points to a tough demand environment ahead
3. 7× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio shows it’s overleveraged and increases the probability of shareholder dilution if things turn unexpectedly

Wendy's is trading at $10.28 per share, or 10.5x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why WEN doesn’t pass our bar.

UFP Industries (UFPI)

One-Month Return: -6%

Beginning as a lumber supplier in the 1950s, UFP Industries (NASDAQ: UFPI) is a holding company making building materials for the construction, retail, and industrial sectors.

Why Does UFPI Give Us Pause?

1. Declining unit sales over the past two years show it’s struggled to increase its sales volumes and had to rely on price increases
2. Earnings per share have contracted by 20.4% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

UFP Industries’s stock price of $98.51 implies a valuation ratio of 15.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering UFPI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Exact Sciences (EXAS)

One-Month Return: -24.2%

With a mission to detect cancer earlier when it's more treatable, Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) develops and markets cancer screening and diagnostic tests, including its flagship Cologuard stool-based colorectal cancer screening test.

Why Are We Wary of EXAS?

1. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
2. Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business

At $41.17 per share, Exact Sciences trades at 55.7x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with EXAS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Strong Momentum 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).

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