3 Volatile Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals
A highly volatile stock can deliver big gains - or just as easily wipe out a portfolio if things go south. While some investors embrace risk, mistakes can be costly for those who aren't prepared.
Navigating these stocks isn't easy, which is why StockStory helps you find Comfort In Chaos. That said, here are three volatile stocks best left to the gamblers and some better opportunities instead.
Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.58
Started as a Kickstarter campaign, Peloton (NASDAQ: PTON) is a fitness technology company known for its at-home exercise equipment and interactive online workout classes.
Why Is PTON Risky?
Sluggish trends in its connected fitness subscribers suggest customers aren't adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating losses
Cash-burning tendencies make us wonder if it can sustainably generate shareholder value
Peloton is trading at $6.62 per share, or 9.1x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than PTON.
Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.34
Known for its oversized, premium beanbags, Lovesac (NASDAQ:LOVE) is a specialty furniture brand selling modular furniture.
Why Does LOVE Worry Us?
Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 2.2% annual growth was below the typical consumer discretionary company
Capital intensity will likely ramp up in the next year as its free cash flow margin is expected to contract by 1.5 percentage points
Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company's profitability
At $21.12 per share, Lovesac trades at 45.9x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with LOVE, check out our full research report (it's free).
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.42
Originally established as a division of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly before becoming independent in 2018, Elanco Animal Health (NYSE:ELAN) develops and sells medications, vaccines, and other health products for pets and farm animals across more than 90 countries.
Why Is ELAN Not Exciting?
Weak constant currency growth over the past two years indicates challenges in maintaining its market share
Revenue growth over the past five years was nullified by the company's new share issuances as its earnings per share fell by 3.1% annually
Negative returns on capital show that some of its growth strategies have backfired
Elanco's stock price of $9.50 implies a valuation ratio of 10.7x forward price-to-earnings. If you're considering ELAN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.
While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 175% over the last five years.
Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
8 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Waymo suspends robotaxi rides near LA protests after 5 cars are set ablaze
Waymo suspended robotaxi service in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday after five vehicles were set on fire during protests against President Donald Trump 's immigration raids in the city. Photos show Waymo cars covered in anti-ICE graffiti burning in the street, engulfed in smoke. A spokesperson for Waymo confirmed to Business Insider that five vehicles had been vandalized during the protests. The company temporarily suspended service in downtown LA and doesn't think its vehicles were intentionally targeted, the spokesperson said. Waymo is working with the Los Angeles Police Department, they added. On Sunday night, the LAPD said on X that "burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases." Electric vehicles often use lithium-ion batteries. The spokesperson told BI that Waymo, which Alphabet owns, operates more than 300 vehicles in LA and is continuing operations in other parts of the city. It's not the first time that Waymo vehicles have been targeted in California. Last year, a crowd in San Francisco set one of the robotaxis on fire during Lunar New Year celebrations amid a wave of distrust about driverless vehicles. The protests broke out on Friday after an immigration raid in the city. Over the weekend, Trump bypassed California Gov. Gavin Newsom 's authority and ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the LA area. Despite the dramatic images, the protests have largely been peaceful, according to multiple reports. The demonstrations have become a political lightning rod between Newsom and Trump, and the governor has announced that he's suing the administration. They may, however, serve as an olive branch between the president and Elon Musk, who had an ugly falling out last week.


CNN
13 minutes ago
- CNN
Trump to promote $1,000 ‘Trump Accounts' for newborns at WH event
President Donald Trump is set to host a roundtable at the White House Monday to promote a key feature of the sweeping Republican domestic policy bill – a provision that would provide every American newborn with a $1,000 investment account, a White House official told CNN. The accounts, which the administration has dubbed 'Trump Accounts,' would be established for all newborn US citizen children under a pilot program included in the House-passed legislation. The government's $1,000 contribution would be placed in an index fund tied to the overall stock market and managed by the child's legal guardians. The accounts will start at $1,000 per child and guardians or other private entities can contribute up to $5,000 additional dollars every year throughout the child's life. 'The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill will literally change the lives of working, middle class families across America by delivering the largest tax cuts in history, increasing the child tax credit, AND by creating this incredible new 'Trump Account' program, which will put the lives of young Americans on the right financial path' said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Monday's event, taking place in the State Dining Room at the White House, will feature top executives from Dell, Uber, Altimeter Capital, ARM Corp, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Robinhood and Goldman Sachs. According to the White House official, the CEOs are expected to pledge billions of dollars in investments into Trump Accounts for the children of their employees. 'The creation of investment accounts for every child will compound into substantial nest eggs providing support for education, home ownership, and starting families. Dell Technologies will proudly match dollar for dollar the government's seed investment into these accounts for all the children born to Dell team members. This bold move to an ownership society for all included in the Reconciliation Bill will have profound and far-reaching benefits for the country,' said Dell Technologies CEO Micheal Dell, who will attend the roundtable Monday. The roundtable comes as the Trump administration intensifies its push to secure Senate passage of the president's domestic policy package ahead of the Fourth of July. NBC News was first to report.


CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
China has a valuable card to play as it holds trade talks with the US today
Source: CNN A new round of trade negotiations between the United States and China has started in London, with both sides trying to preserve a fragile truce brokered last month. The fresh talks were announced last week after a long-anticipated phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which appeared to ease tensions that erupted over the past month following a surprise agreement in Geneva. In May, the two sides agreed to drastically roll back tariffs on each other's goods for an initial 90-day period. The mood was upbeat. However, sentiment soured quickly over two major sticking points: China's control over so-called rare earths minerals and its access to semiconductor technology originating from the US. Beijing's exports of rare earths and their related magnets are expected to take center stage Monday at the London meeting. A person familiar with the matter told CNN the US-China talks were underway. China's official news agency Xinhua also reported the start of the discussions. Experts say Beijing is unlikely to give up its strategic grip over the essential minerals, which are needed in a wide range of electronics, vehicles and defense systems. 'China's control over rare earth supply has become a calibrated yet assertive tool for strategic influence,' Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's chief China economist, wrote in a Monday research note. 'Its near-monopoly of the supply chain means rare earths will remain a significant bargaining chip in trade negotiations.' Since the talks in Geneva, Trump has accused Beijing of effectively blocking the export of rare earths, announcing additional chip curbs and threatening to revoke the US visas of Chinese students. The moves have provoked backlash from China, which views Washington's decisions as reneging on its trade promises. All eyes will be on whether both sides can come to a consensus in London on issues of fundamental importance. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng. On Saturday, Beijing appeared to send conciliatory signals. A spokesperson for China's Commerce Ministry, which oversees the export controls, said it had 'approved a certain number of compliant applications.' 'China is willing to further enhance communication and dialogue with relevant countries regarding export controls to facilitate compliant trade,' the spokesperson said. Kevin Hassett, head of the National Economic Council at the White House, told CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday that the US side would be looking to restore the flow of rare earth minerals. 'Those exports of critical minerals have been getting released at a rate that is higher than it was, but not as high as we believe we agreed to in Geneva,' he said, adding that he is 'very comfortable' with a trade deal being made after the talks. On Monday morning in an interview with CNBC, Hassett said: 'This was a very significant sticking point, because China controls… something like 90% of the rare earths and the magnets. And if they're slow rolling, sending those to us because of some licensing deal that they set up, then it could potentially disrupt production for some US companies that rely on those things.' 'And there are enough of those, like, for example, auto companies, that President Trump took it very seriously, called President Xi and said, we got to we got to get this stuff coming out faster. And President Xi agreed,' he added. In April, as tit-for-tat trade tension between the two countries escalated, China imposed a new licensing regime on seven rare earth minerals and several magnets, requiring exporters to seek approvals for each shipment and submit documentation to verify the intended end use of these materials. Following the trade truce negotiated in Geneva, the Trump administration expected China to lift restrictions on those minerals. But Beijing's apparent slow-walking of approvals triggered deep frustration within the White House, CNN reported last month. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements that are more abundant than gold and can be found in many countries, including the US. But they're difficult, costly and environmentally polluting to extract and process. China controls 90% of global rare earth processing. Experts say it's possible that Beijing may seek to use its leverage over rare earths to get Washington to ease its own export controls aimed at blocking China's access to advanced US semiconductors and related technologies. The American Chamber of Commerce in China said on Friday that some Chinese suppliers of American companies have received six-month export licenses. Reuters, citing two sources, also reported that suppliers of major American carmakers – including General Motors, Ford and Jeep-maker Stellantis – were granted temporary export licenses for a period of up to six months. While China may step up the pace of license approvals to cool the diplomatic temperature, global access to Chinese rare earth minerals will likely remain more restricted than it was before April, according to a Friday research note by Leah Fahy, a China economist and other experts at Capital Economics, a London-based consultancy. 'Beijing had become more assertive in its use of export controls as tools to protect and cement its global position in strategic sectors, even before Trump hiked China tariffs this year,' the note said. As China tackles a tariff war with the US head on, it's clear that the disruptions are continuing to cause economic pain at home. Trade and price data released Monday painted a gloomy picture for the country's export-reliant economy. Its overall overseas shipments rose by just 4.8% in May, compared to the same month a year earlier, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs. It was a sharp slowdown from the 8.1% recorded in April, and lower than the estimate of 5.0% export growth from a Reuters poll of economists. Its exports to the US suffered a steep decline of 34.5%. The sharp monthly fall widened from a 21% drop in April and came despite the trade truce announced on May 12 that brought American tariffs on Chinese goods down from 145% to 30%. Still, Lü Daliang, a spokesperson for the customs department, talked up China's economic strength, telling the state-run media Xinhua that China's goods trade has demonstrated 'resilience in the face of external challenges.' Meanwhile, deflationary pressures continue to stalk the world's second-largest economy, according to data released separately on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In May, China's Consumer Price Index (CPI), a benchmark for measuring inflation, dropped 0.1% compared to the same month last year. Factory-gate deflation, measured by the Producer Price Index (PPI), worsened with a 3.3% decrease in May from a year earlier. Last month's drop marks the sharpest year-on-year contraction in 22 months, according to NBS data. Dong Lijuan, chief statistician at the NBS, attributed the decline in producer prices, which measures the average change in prices received by producers of goods and services, to a drop in global oil and gas prices, as well as the decrease in prices for coal and other raw materials due to low cyclical demand. The high base of last year was cited as another reason for the decline, Dong said in a statement. See Full Web Article