3 Unpopular Stocks That Fall Short

Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.

Whatever the consensus opinion may be, our team at StockStory cuts through the noise by conducting independent analysis to determine a company’s long-term prospects. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where the outlook is warranted and some alternatives with better fundamentals.

Molson Coors (TAP)

Consensus Price Target: $50.81 (5.8% implied return)

Sporting an impressive roster of iconic beer brands, Molson Coors (NYSE:TAP) is a global brewing giant with a rich history dating back more than two centuries.

Why Do We Avoid TAP?

1. Falling unit sales over the past two years imply it may need to invest in product improvements to get back on track
2. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 33.7 percentage points
3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its falling returns suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Molson Coors’s stock price of $48.02 implies a valuation ratio of 8.6x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including TAP in your portfolio.

Vishay Precision (VPG)

Consensus Price Target: $41 (6.4% implied return)

Emerging from Vishay Intertechnology in 2010, Vishay Precision (NYSE:VPG) operates as a global provider of precision measurement and sensing technologies.

Why Is VPG Risky?

1. Annual sales declines of 9% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
2. Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 15.3% annually while its revenue grew
3. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned

At $38.55 per share, Vishay Precision trades at 40.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why VPG doesn’t pass our bar.

U.S. Bancorp (USB)

Consensus Price Target: $56.20 (5.4% implied return)

With roots dating back to 1863 and a presence across 26 states primarily in the Midwest and West, U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) is one of America's largest banks providing lending, deposit services, wealth management, payment processing, and merchant services to individuals and businesses.

Why Does USB Fall Short?

1. Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the firm’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual net interest income increases of 5.2% for the last five years
2. Inferior net interest margin of 2.7% means it must compensate for lower profitability through increased loan originations
3. Large asset base makes it harder to grow tangible book value per share quickly, and its annual tangible book value per share growth of 2.5% over the last five years was below our standards for the banking sector

U.S. Bancorp is trading at $53.34 per share, or 1.4x forward P/B. If you’re considering USB for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Stocks We Like More

Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.

The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here in 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 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-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.