Stability is great, but low-volatility stocks may struggle to deliver market-beating returns over time as they sometimes underperform during bull markets.
Choosing the wrong investments can cause you to fall behind, which is why we started StockStory - to separate the winners from the losers. That said, here are three low-volatility stocks that don’t make the cut and some better opportunities instead.
Target (TGT)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.51
With a higher focus on style and aesthetics compared to other large general merchandise retailers, Target (NYSE: TGT) serves the suburban consumer who is looking for a wide range of products under one roof.
Why Are We Hesitant About TGT?
- Lagging same-store sales over the past two years suggest it might have to change its pricing and marketing strategy to stimulate demand
- Sales are projected to remain flat over the next 12 months as demand decelerates from its six-year trend
- Widely-available products (and therefore stiff competition) result in an inferior gross margin of 28% that must be offset through higher volumes
Target’s stock price of $95.26 implies a valuation ratio of 11.1x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why TGT doesn’t pass our bar.
Walmart (WMT)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.80
Known for its large-format Supercenters, Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is a retail pioneer that serves a budget-conscious consumer who is looking for a wide range of products under one roof.
Why Are We Cautious About WMT?
- Large revenue base makes it harder to increase sales quickly, and its annual revenue growth of 4.8% over the last six years was below our standards for the consumer retail sector
- Commoditized inventory, bad unit economics, and high competition are reflected in its low gross margin of 24.7%
- Performance over the past six years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 10.9% annually
Walmart is trading at $95.10 per share, or 35.5x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than WMT.
Allegion (ALLE)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.67
Allegion plc (NYSE: ALLE) is a provider of security products and solutions that keep people and assets safe and secure in various environments.
Why Do We Think Twice About ALLE?
- Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
- Free cash flow margin dropped by 2.5 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
At $136.80 per share, Allegion trades at 17.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ALLE, check out our full research report (it’s free).
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.
While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 6 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 Comfort Systems (+782% 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
