The stocks featured in this article have all approached their 52-week highs. When these price levels hit, it typically signals strong business execution, positive market sentiment, or significant industry tailwinds.

While momentum can be a leading indicator, it has burned many investors as it doesn’t always correlate with long-term success. On that note, here are three stocks getting more buzz than they deserve and some you should buy instead.

Macy's (M)

One-Month Return: +9.5%

With a storied history that began with its 1858 founding, Macy’s (NYSE: M) is a department store chain that sells clothing, cosmetics, accessories, and home goods.

Why Do We Steer Clear of M?

1. Recent store closures and weak same-store sales point to soft demand and an operational restructuring
2. Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it’s having trouble bringing new shoppers into its brick-and-mortar locations
3. Earnings per share have contracted by 17.8% annually over the last three years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance

Macy’s stock price of $25.32 implies a valuation ratio of 11.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than M.

Atkore (ATKR)

One-Month Return: +35.2%

Protecting the things that power our world, Atkore (NYSE: ATKR) designs and manufactures electrical safety products.

Why Is ATKR Risky?

1. Annual sales declines of 5.5% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 11.5 percentage points
3. Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability

At $93.64 per share, Atkore trades at 15.2x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ATKR, check out our full research report (it’s free).

F.N.B. Corporation (FNB)

One-Month Return: +0.5%

Tracing its roots back to 1864 during the Civil War era, F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB) is a diversified financial services holding company that provides banking, wealth management, and insurance services to consumers and businesses across seven states and Washington, D.C.

Why Are We Cautious About FNB?

1. Annual net interest income growth of 9.7% over the last five years was below our standards for the banking sector
2. Net interest margin of 3.2% reflects its high servicing and capital costs
3. Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 8.2% annually

F.N.B. Corporation is trading at $18.97 per share, or 1x forward P/B. If you’re considering FNB for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

WHILE YOU’RE HERE: Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. The best stocks don’t just beat the market once. They do it again. And again. Robust revenue growth, rising free cash flow, returns on capital that leave their competition in the dust. The market has already rewarded these businesses.

But our AI platform says the party isn’t over. Find out which 9 stocks made the cut this week — FREE. Get Our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks for Free HERE.

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.