Many small-cap stocks have limited Wall Street coverage, giving savvy investors the chance to act before everyone else catches on. But the flip side is that these businesses have increased downside risk because they lack the scale and staying power of their larger competitors.

These trade-offs can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here are three small-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Playa Hotels & Resorts (PLYA)

Market Cap: $1.51 billion

Sporting a roster of beachfront properties, Playa Hotels & Resorts (NASDAQ: PLYA) is an owner, operator, and developer of all-inclusive resorts in prime vacation destinations.

Why Do We Think Twice About PLYA?

1. Revenue per room has disappointed over the past two years due to weaker trends in its daily rates and occupancy levels
2. Estimated sales growth of 7.6% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
3. Underwhelming 5% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities

Playa Hotels & Resorts’s stock price of $13.48 implies a valuation ratio of 21.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why PLYA doesn’t pass our bar.

Vicor (VICR)

Market Cap: $2.31 billion

Founded by a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Vicor (NASDAQ: VICR) provides electrical power conversion and delivery products for a range of industries.

Why Does VICR Worry Us?

1. Flat backlog over the past two years has disappointed and shows fewer customers signed long-term contracts
2. Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 10.9 percentage points
3. Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam

At $51.32 per share, Vicor trades at 41x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with VICR, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Dentsply Sirona (XRAY)

Market Cap: $2.86 billion

With roots dating back to 1877 when it introduced the first dental electric drill, Dentsply Sirona (NASDAQ: XRAY) manufactures and sells professional dental equipment, technologies, and consumable products used by dentists and specialists worldwide.

Why Should You Dump XRAY?

1. Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn’t resonate with customers
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

Dentsply Sirona is trading at $14.31 per share, or 7.4x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why XRAY doesn’t pass our bar.

Stocks We Like More

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 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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% 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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