Market swings can be tough to stomach, and volatile stocks often experience exaggerated moves in both directions. While many thrive during risk-on environments, many also struggle to maintain investor confidence when the ride gets bumpy.

At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. That said, here is one volatile stock that could reward patient investors and two that might not be worth the risk.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Olaplex (OLPX)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.10

Rising to fame on TikTok because of its “bond building" hair products, Olaplex (NASDAQ: OLPX) offers products and treatments that repair the damage caused by traditional heat and chemical-based styling goods.

Why Do We Think Twice About OLPX?

1. Products have few die-hard fans as sales have declined by 10.9% annually over the last three years
2. Inability to adjust its cost structure while its revenue declined over the last year led to a 7.8 percentage point drop in the company’s operating margin
3. Sales were less profitable over the last three years as its earnings per share fell by 34.7% annually, worse than its revenue declines

Olaplex is trading at $1.30 per share, or 11.2x forward price-to-earnings. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than OLPX.

Delta (DAL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.17

One of the ‘Big Four’ airlines in the US, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is a major global air carrier that serves both business and leisure travelers through its domestic and international flights.

Why Is DAL Risky?

1. Number of revenue passenger miles has disappointed over the past two years, indicating weak demand for its offerings
2. Sales are projected to tank by 1.6% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates
3. Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business

Delta’s stock price of $41.88 implies a valuation ratio of 6.7x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with DAL, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Buy:

Chart (GTLS)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.47

Installing the first bulk Co2 tank for McDonalds’s sodas, Chart (NYSE: GTLS) provides equipment to store and transport gasses.

Why Should You Buy GTLS?

1. Demand is greater than supply as the company’s 60.1% average backlog growth over the past two years shows it’s securing new contracts and accumulating more orders than it can fulfill
2. Operating profits and efficiency rose over the last five years as it benefited from some fixed cost leverage
3. Earnings per share grew by 44.2% annually over the last two years and trumped its peers

At $134.99 per share, Chart trades at 10.9x forward price-to-earnings. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs.

While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.