2 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks for Long-Term Investors and 1 Facing Headwinds

August 05, 2025 at 00:38 AM EDT

BFAM Cover Image

Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it’s worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.

Luckily for you, we at StockStory have no conflicts of interest - our sole job is to help you find genuinely promising companies. Keeping that in mind, here are two stocks where Wall Street’s excitement appears well-founded and one where its enthusiasm might be excessive.

One Stock to Sell:

Bright Horizons (BFAM)

Consensus Price Target: $140.89 (13.5% implied return)

Founded in 1986, Bright Horizons (NYSE: BFAM) is a global provider of child care, early education, and workforce support solutions.

Why Do We Pass on BFAM?

Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
Estimated sales growth of 7.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

Bright Horizons’s stock price of $124.08 implies a valuation ratio of 28.5x forward P/E. If you’re considering BFAM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Two Stocks to Watch:

Centene (CNC)

Consensus Price Target: $35.31 (34.6% implied return)

Serving nearly 1 in 15 Americans through its government healthcare programs, Centene (NYSE: CNC) is a healthcare company that manages government-sponsored health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare for low-income and complex-needs populations.

Why Does CNC Stand Out?

Annual revenue growth of 14.2% over the last five years beat the sector average and underscores the unique value of its offerings
Dominant market position is represented by its $178.2 billion in revenue, which gives it negotiating power over membership pricing and reimbursement rates
Returns on capital are increasing as management’s prior bets are starting to bear fruit

Centene is trading at $26.24 per share, or 6.9x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Community Bank (CBU)

Consensus Price Target: $67.40 (28.6% implied return)

Tracing its roots back to 1866 in upstate New York, Community Financial System (NYSE: CBU) is a financial holding company that provides banking, employee benefits, wealth management, and insurance services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers.

Why Could CBU Be a Winner?

Market share has increased this cycle as its 9.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years was exceptional
Earnings per share have comfortably outperformed the peer group average over the last two years, increasing by 0.8% annually
Notable projected tangible book value per share growth of 18.6% for the next 12 months hints at strong capital generation

At $52.40 per share, Community Bank trades at 1.4x forward P/B. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth 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).

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.

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