1 Small-Cap Stock Worth Your Attention and 2 Facing Headwinds

By Anthony Lee | December 14, 2025, 11:33 PM

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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.

These trade-offs can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here is one small-cap stock that could be the next big thing and two best left ignored.

Two Small-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Griffon (GFF)

Market Cap: $3.56 billion

Initially in the defense industry, Griffon (NYSE:GFF) is a now diversified company specializing in home improvement, professional equipment, and building products.

Why Are We Wary of GFF?

  1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 3.1% annually over the last two years
  2. Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment

Griffon is trading at $77.09 per share, or 12.9x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why GFF doesn’t pass our bar.

Lemonade (LMND)

Market Cap: $5.82 billion

Built on the principle of giving back unused premiums to charitable causes selected by policyholders, Lemonade (NYSE:LMND) is a technology-driven insurance company that offers homeowners, renters, pet, car, and life insurance through an AI-powered digital platform.

Why Does LMND Give Us Pause?

  1. Annual earnings per share growth of 17.4% underperformed its revenue over the last two years, showing its incremental sales were less profitable
  2. Annual book value per share declines of 7.2% for the past five years show its capital management struggled during this cycle
  3. Negative return on equity shows management lost money while trying to expand the business

Lemonade’s stock price of $77.74 implies a valuation ratio of 12.1x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including LMND in your portfolio.

One Small-Cap Stock to Buy:

CECO Environmental (CECO)

Market Cap: $2.17 billion

With roots dating back to 1869 and a focus on creating cleaner industrial operations, CECO Environmental (NASDAQ:CECO) provides technology and expertise that helps industrial companies reduce emissions, treat water, and improve energy efficiency across various sectors.

Why Is CECO a Good Business?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 19% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
  2. Adjusted operating profits increased over the last five years as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
  3. Improving returns on capital suggest its past investments are beginning to deliver value

At $60.66 per share, CECO Environmental trades at 46.8x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Stocks We Like Even More

The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 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

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