1 Mid-Cap Stock with Competitive Advantages and 2 We Avoid

August 13, 2025 at 00:36 AM EDT

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Mid-cap stocks have the best odds of scaling into $100 billion corporations thanks to their tested business models and large addressable markets. But the many opportunities in front of them attract significant competition, spanning from industry behemoths with seemingly infinite resources to small, nimble players with chips on their shoulders.

These dynamics can rattle 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 is one mid-cap stock with huge upside potential and two that may have trouble.

Two Mid-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Unum Group (UNM)

Market Cap: $11.98 billion

Tracing its roots back to 1848 when financial security for workers was virtually non-existent, Unum Group (NYSE: UNM) provides workplace financial protection benefits including disability, life, accident, critical illness, dental and vision insurance primarily through employers.

Why Does UNM Give Us Pause?

Net premiums earned only expanded by 2.8% annually over the last five years, trailing its insurance peers as its scale limited incremental business
Estimated sales growth of 2.2% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 9.7% annually

At $70.34 per share, Unum Group trades at 1x forward P/B. If you’re considering UNM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Equitable Holdings (EQH)

Market Cap: $16.43 billion

Tracing its roots back to 1859 as one of America's oldest financial institutions, Equitable Holdings (NYSE: EQH) provides retirement planning, asset management, and life insurance products through its two main franchises, Equitable and AllianceBernstein.

Why Are We Hesitant About EQH?

Annual sales growth of 2.2% over the last five years lagged behind its insurance peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
Book value per share tumbled by 137% annually over the last five years, showing insurance sector trends are working against its favor during this cycle

Equitable Holdings is trading at $54.84 per share, or 12.1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why EQH doesn’t pass our bar.

One Mid-Cap Stock to Watch:

Hims & Hers Health (HIMS)

Market Cap: $10.84 billion

Originally launched with a focus on stigmatized conditions like hair loss and sexual health, Hims & Hers Health (NYSE: HIMS) operates a consumer-focused telehealth platform that connects patients with healthcare providers for prescriptions and wellness products.

Why Should HIMS Be on Your Watchlist?

Business is winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its customer base averaged 43.3% growth over the past two years
Free cash flow margin grew by 14.5 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more chips to play with
Rising returns on capital show the company is starting to reap the benefits of its past investments

Hims & Hers Health’s stock price of $48.20 implies a valuation ratio of 39.1x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

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