A highly volatile stock can deliver big gains - or just as easily wipe out a portfolio if things go south. While some investors embrace risk, mistakes can be costly for those who aren’t prepared.

These stocks can be a rollercoaster, and StockStory is here to guide you through the ups and downs. Keeping that in mind, here is one volatile stock that could deliver huge gains and two that could just as easily collapse.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Astec (ASTE)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.48

Inventing the first ever double-barrel hot-mix asphalt plant, Astec (NASDAQ: ASTE) provides machines and equipment for building roads, processing raw materials, and producing concrete.

Why Are We Wary of ASTE?

1. Product roadmap and go-to-market strategy need to be reconsidered as its backlog has averaged 28.2% declines over the past two years
2. High input costs result in an inferior gross margin of 23.9% that must be offset through higher volumes
3. Cash-burning tendencies make us wonder if it can sustainably generate shareholder value

At $44.05 per share, Astec trades at 13.6x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ASTE in your portfolio.

CDW (CDW)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.09

Serving as a crucial bridge between technology manufacturers and end users since 1984, CDW (NASDAQ: CDW) is a multi-brand provider of information technology solutions that helps businesses and public sector organizations select, implement, and manage hardware, software, and IT services.

Why Is CDW Not Exciting?

1. Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
2. Estimated sales growth of 2.1% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
3. Flat earnings per share over the last two years underperformed the sector average

CDW’s stock price of $143.25 implies a valuation ratio of 13.9x forward P/E. If you’re considering CDW for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Buy:

CrowdStrike (CRWD)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.57

Known for detecting the massive SolarWinds hack in 2020 that compromised numerous government agencies, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions that protect endpoints, cloud workloads, identity, and data through its Falcon platform.

Why Do We Love CRWD?

1. Billings have averaged 25% growth over the last year, showing it’s securing new contracts that could potentially increase in value over time
2. Forecasted revenue growth of 21.6% for the next 12 months indicates its momentum over the last two years is sustainable
3. Software platform has product-market fit given the rapid recovery of its customer acquisition costs

CrowdStrike is trading at $508.91 per share, or 24x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Stocks We Like Even More

If your portfolio success hinges on just 4 stocks, your wealth is built on fragile ground. You have a small window to secure high-quality assets before the market widens and these prices disappear.

Don’t wait for the next volatility shock. Check out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 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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