1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves Some Love and 2 Facing Challenges

September 02, 2025 at 00:39 AM EDT

U Cover Image

Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article. These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two where the outlook is warranted.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Unity (U)

Consensus Price Target: $34.75 (-11.5% implied return)

Powering over half of the world's mobile games and expanding into industries from automotive to architecture, Unity (NYSE: U) provides software tools and services that allow developers to create, run, and monetize interactive 2D and 3D content across multiple platforms.

Why Is U Not Exciting?

Products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy need some adjustments as its billings have averaged 6% declines over the last year
Customer acquisition costs take a while to recoup, making it difficult to justify sales and marketing investments that could increase revenue
Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating margin losses

Unity is trading at $39.28 per share, or 8.7x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering U for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Integra LifeSciences (IART)

Consensus Price Target: $15.88 (4.9% implied return)

Founded in 1989 as a pioneer in regenerative medicine technology, Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) develops and manufactures medical technologies for neurosurgery, wound care, and surgical reconstruction, including regenerative tissue products and surgical instruments.

Why Do We Think IART Will Underperform?

Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 7.7 percentage points
Free cash flow margin shrank by 21 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Integra LifeSciences’s stock price of $15.13 implies a valuation ratio of 6.2x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with IART, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Buy:

Nicolet Bankshares (NIC)

Consensus Price Target: $147.40 (6.6% implied return)

Starting as Green Bay Financial Corporation in 2000 before rebranding in 2002, Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE: NIC) is a regional bank holding company that provides commercial, agricultural, and consumer banking services primarily in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Why Is NIC a Good Business?

Market share has increased this cycle as its 18.4% annual net interest income growth over the last five years was exceptional
Net interest margin increased by 40.3 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) over the last two years, giving the firm more capital to invest or return to shareholders
Earnings growth has massively outpaced its peers over the last two years as its EPS has compounded at 14.9% annually

At $138.29 per share, Nicolet Bankshares trades at 1.6x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.

Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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 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

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