1 Safe-and-Steady Stock with Competitive Advantages and 2 That Underwhelm

August 15, 2025 at 00:40 AM EDT

INTU Cover Image

Stability is great, but low-volatility stocks may struggle to deliver market-beating returns over time as they sometimes underperform during bull markets.

Luckily for you, StockStory helps you navigate which companies are truly worth holding. Keeping that in mind, here is one low-volatility stock that could succeed under all market conditions and two that may not deliver the returns you need.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Hudson Technologies (HDSN)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.76

Founded in 1991, Hudson Technologies (NASDAQ: HDSN) specializes in refrigerant services and solutions, providing refrigerant sales, reclamation, and recycling.

Why Are We Hesitant About HDSN?

Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 14.1% annually over the last two years
Earnings per share have contracted by 46.8% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging

At $9.60 per share, Hudson Technologies trades at 10.6x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than HDSN.

Bausch + Lomb (BLCO)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.85

With a nearly 170-year history dedicated to vision care and eye health innovation, Bausch + Lomb (NYSE: BLCO) develops and manufactures a comprehensive range of eye health products including contact lenses, pharmaceuticals, surgical devices, and consumer eye care solutions.

Why Do We Think Twice About BLCO?

Muted 7.2% annual revenue growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its healthcare peers
Free cash flow margin dropped by 23.9 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

Bausch + Lomb is trading at $14.08 per share, or 16.7x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with BLCO, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Watch:

Intuit (INTU)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.59

Created in 1983 when founder Scott Cook watched his wife struggle to reconcile the family's checkbook, Intuit provides tax and accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses.

Why Does INTU Stand Out?

Average billings growth of 15.8% over the last year enhances its liquidity and shows there is steady demand for its products
Software platform has product-market fit given the rapid recovery of its customer acquisition costs
INTU is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

Intuit’s stock price of $711.50 implies a valuation ratio of 9.7x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? 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 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

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