2 Unpopular Stocks That Deserve Some Love and 1 We Question

Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article. These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. That said, here are two stocks where Wall Street’s pessimism is creating a buying opportunity and one where the outlook is warranted.

One Stock to Sell:

Heartland Express (HTLD)

Consensus Price Target: $8.30 (-11.5% implied return)

Founded by the son of a trucker, Heartland Express (NASDAQ:HTLD) offers full-truckload deliveries across the United States and Mexico.

Why Is HTLD Risky?

1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 14.2% annually over the last two years
2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 12.7 percentage points
3. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results

Heartland Express’s stock price of $9.38 implies a valuation ratio of 1x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with HTLD, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

Two Stocks to Watch:

Rivian (RIVN)

Consensus Price Target: $15.75 (-12% implied return)

The manufacturer of Amazon’s delivery trucks, Rivian (NASDAQ:RIVN) designs, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and commercial delivery vans.

Why Are We Fans of RIVN?

1. Impressive 24.2% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
2. Incremental sales over the last two years have been highly profitable as its earnings per share increased by 33.4% annually, topping its revenue gains

At $17.89 per share, Rivian trades at 3.8x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free for active Edge members .

Piper Sandler (PIPR)

Consensus Price Target: $391 (12.3% implied return)

Tracing its roots back to 1895 and rebranded from Piper Jaffray in 2020, Piper Sandler (NYSE:PIPR) is an investment bank that provides advisory services, capital raising, institutional brokerage, and research for corporations, governments, and institutional investors.

Why Is PIPR a Good Business?

1. Annual revenue growth of 17.4% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
2. Additional sales over the last two years increased its profitability as the 35.2% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue
3. Annual tangible book value per share growth of 12.8% over the past two years was outstanding, reflecting strong capital accumulation this cycle

Piper Sandler is trading at $348.27 per share, or 20.4x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Stocks We Like Even 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 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-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.