1 Safe-and-Steady Stock on Our Watchlist and 2 We Turn Down

By Anthony Lee | October 23, 2025, 12:46 AM

INTU Cover Image

A stock with low volatility can be reassuring, but it doesn’t always mean strong long-term performance. Investors who prioritize stability may miss out on higher-reward opportunities elsewhere.

Finding the right balance between safety and returns isn’t easy, which is why StockStory is here to help. Keeping that in mind, here is one low-volatility stock providing safe-and-steady growth and two that may not deliver the returns you need.

Two Stocks to Sell:

BlackLine (BL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.91

Born from the vision to eliminate tedious manual spreadsheet work for accountants, BlackLine (NASDAQ:BL) provides cloud-based software that automates and streamlines financial close, intercompany accounting, and invoice-to-cash processes for accounting departments.

Why Do We Think Twice About BL?

  1. Average billings growth of 7.2% over the last year was subpar, suggesting it struggled to push its software and might have to lower prices to stimulate demand
  2. Estimated sales growth of 8.3% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
  3. Operating margin expanded by 1.3 percentage points over the last year as it scaled and became more efficient

BlackLine’s stock price of $53.95 implies a valuation ratio of 4.7x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering BL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.53

Founded in 1991, Graphic Packaging (NYSE:GPK) is a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide range of products.

Why Should You Sell GPK?

  1. Declining unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to accelerate growth
  2. Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 8.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

At $17.82 per share, Graphic Packaging Holding trades at 8.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why GPK doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Watch:

Intuit (INTU)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.54

Originally named after its founding product "Intuitive for the first-time user," Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU) provides financial management software and services including TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp to help consumers and small businesses manage their finances.

Why Are We Positive On INTU?

  1. Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 17.5% over the last year
  2. Fast payback periods on sales and marketing expenses allow the company to invest heavily and onboard many customers concurrently
  3. Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 26.1% operating margin, and its operating leverage amplified its profits over the last year

Intuit is trading at $664.23 per share, or 8.9x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Stocks We Like Even More

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

Mentioned In This Article

Latest News