Investors looking for hidden gems should keep an eye on small-cap stocks because they’re frequently overlooked by Wall Street. Many opportunities exist in this part of the market, but it is also a high-risk, high-reward environment due to the lack of reliable analyst price targets.

Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here are three small-cap stocks to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.

Cathay General Bancorp (CATY)

Market Cap: $3.45 billion

Founded in 1962 with its first branch in Los Angeles' Chinatown, Cathay General Bancorp (NASDAQ: CATY) operates Cathay Bank, providing commercial banking services to businesses and individuals with a strong presence in Asian-American communities.

Why Do We Think Twice About CATY?

1. Sales tumbled by 4.4% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
2. Muted 5.4% annual net interest income growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its banking peers
3. Net interest margin shrank by 48.3 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) over the last two years, suggesting the profitability of its loan book is decreasing or the market is becoming more competitive

Cathay General Bancorp is trading at $49.91 per share, or 1.2x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CATY.

Hercules Capital (HTGC)

Market Cap: $3.50 billion

Named after the mythological hero known for his strength, Hercules Capital (NYSE: HTGC) is a business development company that provides debt financing to venture capital-backed and growth-stage technology and life sciences companies.

Why Does HTGC Give Us Pause?

1. Annual earnings per share growth of 2.1% underperformed its revenue over the last two years, showing its incremental sales were less profitable

Hercules Capital’s stock price of $19.53 implies a valuation ratio of 9.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why HTGC doesn’t pass our bar.

WaFd Bank (WAFD)

Market Cap: $2.48 billion

Founded in 1917 and rebranded from Washington Federal in 2023, WaFd (NASDAQ: WAFD) is a bank holding company that provides lending, deposit services, and insurance through its Washington Federal Bank subsidiary across eight western states.

Why Are We Wary of WAFD?

1. Net interest income trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 7% annual growth was below the typical banking firm
2. 102.2 basis point (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) decline in its net interest margin over the last two years reflects the firm’s willingness to accept lower profitability to defend its market position
3. Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 18.8% annually, worse than its revenue declines

At $31.45 per share, WaFd Bank trades at 0.9x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WAFD in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

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Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at Top 5 Strong Momentum 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 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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