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.
The downside that can come from buying these securities is precisely why we started StockStory - to isolate the long-term winners from the losers so you can invest with confidence. That said, here are three small-cap stocks to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.
LifeStance Health Group (LFST)
Market Cap: $1.55 billion
With over 6,600 licensed mental health professionals treating more than 880,000 patients annually, LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST) provides outpatient mental health services through a network of clinicians offering psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, and therapy across 33 states.
Why Does LFST Fall Short?
- Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $1.28 billion, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
- Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model
- Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction
LifeStance Health Group’s stock price of $4.05 implies a valuation ratio of 52.3x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including LFST in your portfolio.
Evolent Health (EVH)
Market Cap: $1.16 billion
Founded in 2011 to transform how healthcare is delivered to patients with complex needs, Evolent Health (NYSE: EVH) provides specialty care management services and technology solutions that help health plans and providers deliver better care for patients with complex conditions.
Why Are We Wary of EVH?
- Projected sales decline of 10.1% for the next 12 months points to a tough demand environment ahead
- Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 0.6% for the last five years
- Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction
Evolent Health is trading at $10.05 per share, or 18.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with EVH, check out our full research report (it’s free).
SAIC (SAIC)
Market Cap: $5.23 billion
With over five decades of experience supporting national security missions, Science Applications International Corporation (NASDAQ: SAIC) provides technical, engineering, and enterprise IT services primarily to U.S. government agencies and military branches.
Why Should You Sell SAIC?
- Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 1.5% annually over the last two years
- Estimated sales growth of 2.5% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
- Underwhelming 11.9% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities
At $111.48 per share, SAIC trades at 11.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than SAIC.
Stocks We Like More
When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2024, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.
Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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-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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