1 Unpopular Stock That Should Get More Attention and 2 Facing Headwinds

September 22, 2025 at 00:37 AM EDT

PLUG Cover Image

When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it’s worth paying attention. These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.

Whatever the consensus opinion may be, our team at StockStory cuts through the noise by conducting independent analysis to determine a company’s long-term prospects. That said, here is one stock poised to prove Wall Street wrong and two facing legitimate challenges.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Plug Power (PLUG)

Consensus Price Target: $1.97 (-10.1% implied return)

Powering forklifts for Walmart’s distribution centers, Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) provides hydrogen fuel cells used to power electric motors.

Why Is PLUG Risky?

Annual sales declines of 12.6% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6,283 percentage points
Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

Plug Power is trading at $2.19 per share, or 3.1x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than PLUG.

BankUnited (BKU)

Consensus Price Target: $42.48 (9% implied return)

Born from the ashes of a failed Florida thrift during the 2009 financial crisis, BankUnited (NYSE: BKU) is a regional bank that provides commercial lending, deposit services, and treasury solutions to businesses and consumers primarily in Florida and the New York metropolitan area.

Why Do We Pass on BKU?

Muted 5.3% annual net interest income growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its banking peers
Inferior net interest margin of 2.7% means it must compensate for lower profitability through increased loan originations
Anticipated 25.8 percentage point rise in its efficiency ratio suggests its expenses will increase as a percentage of revenue

BankUnited’s stock price of $38.98 implies a valuation ratio of 1x forward P/B. If you’re considering BKU for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Watch:

Federated Hermes (FHI)

Consensus Price Target: $50.86 (-3.5% implied return)

With roots dating back to 1955 and a pioneering role in money market funds, Federated Hermes (NYSE: FHI) is an investment management firm that offers a wide range of funds and strategies for institutional and individual investors.

Why Could FHI Be a Winner?

Performance over the past two years was boosted by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
Industry-leading 24.7% return on equity demonstrates management’s skill in finding high-return investments

At $52.70 per share, Federated Hermes trades at 11.5x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

About Us

Additional Information

Website & Technical Help