Consumer discretionary businesses are levered to the highs and lows of economic cycles. Lately, it seems like demand trends have worked in their favor as the industry has returned 15.3% over the past six months, outpacing S&P 500 by 4 percentage points.

Regardless of these results, investors should tread carefully as many companies in this space are unpredictable because they lack recurring revenue business models. Taking that into account, here is one consumer stock poised to generate sustainable market-beating returns and two best left ignored.

Two Consumer Discretionary Stocks to Sell:

Perdoceo Education (PRDO)

Market Cap: $2.14 billion

Formerly known as Career Education Corporation, Perdoceo Education (NASDAQ: PRDO) is an educational services company that specializes in postsecondary education.

Why Does PRDO Worry Us?

1. Annual revenue growth of 2.9% over the last two years was below our standards for the consumer discretionary sector
2. Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability

Perdoceo Education’s stock price of $32.88 implies a valuation ratio of 21x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why PRDO doesn’t pass our bar.

Purple (PRPL)

Market Cap: $119.1 million

Founded by two brothers, Purple (NASDAQ: PRPL) creates sleep and home comfort products such as mattresses, pillows, and bedding accessories.

Why Are We Out on PRPL?

1. Products and services aren't resonating with the market as its revenue declined by 2.9% annually over the last five years
2. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results
3. Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

At $1.08 per share, Purple trades at 12.8x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with PRPL, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Consumer Discretionary Stock to Watch:

Apple (AAPL)

Market Cap: $3.56 trillion

Creator of the iPhone and App Store, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a legendary developer of consumer electronics and software.

Why Should AAPL Be on Your Watchlist?

1. Apple's revenue base is so large because nearly everyone in the U.S. has an iPhone, but this is a double-edged sword. Growth must now come from upgrades, a harder pitch that has resulted in sluggish top-line performance recently.
2. Still, Apple's devices have endured for decades, speaking to its brand, design ethos, and technological chops. Its success is rare in the world of consumer electronics, which is fraught because of commoditization, competition, and obsolescence risk.
3. The company may not have the best gross margin because of its hardware orientation, but it still manages to produce elite operating and free cash flow margins. This shows it doesn’t need over-the-top marketing campaigns to convince people to buy its products.

Apple is trading at $239.21 per share, or 32.1x forward price-to-earnings. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive 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 Kadant (+351% 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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