3 of Wall Street's Favorite Stocks We Steer Clear Of

The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say nice things about companies so their firms can win business in other product lines like M&A advisory.

Luckily for you, we at StockStory have no conflicts of interest - our sole job is to help you find genuinely promising companies. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s enthusiasm may be misplaced and some other investments worth exploring instead.

Harley-Davidson (HOG)

Consensus Price Target: $22.70 (18% implied return)

Founded in 1903, Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) is an American motorcycle manufacturer known for its heavyweight motorcycles designed for cruising on highways.

Why Do We Avoid HOG?

1. Performance surrounding its motorcycles sold has lagged its peers
2. Capital intensity will likely ramp up in the next year as its free cash flow margin is expected to contract by 4.4 percentage points
3. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned

Harley-Davidson is trading at $19.23 per share, or 66.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why HOG doesn’t pass our bar.

agilon health (AGL)

Consensus Price Target: $0.94 (33.7% implied return)

Transforming how doctors care for seniors by shifting financial incentives from volume to outcomes, agilon health (NYSE:AGL) provides a platform that helps primary care physicians transition to value-based care models for Medicare patients through long-term partnerships and global capitation arrangements.

Why Are We Wary of AGL?

1. Sales are projected to tank by 8% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates
2. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 3.6 percentage points
3. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model

At $0.71 per share, agilon health trades at 0.8x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than AGL.

Corebridge Financial (CRBG)

Consensus Price Target: $37.23 (40.8% implied return)

Spun off from insurance giant AIG in 2022 to focus on the growing retirement market, Corebridge Financial (NYSE:CRBG) provides retirement solutions, annuities, life insurance, and institutional risk management products in the United States.

Why Do We Pass on CRBG?

1. Net premiums earned plateaued over the last four years, signaling weak incremental demand for its insurance policies
2. Products and services are facing significant credit quality challenges during this cycle as book value per share has declined by 15% annually over the last five years
3. Debt-to-equity ratio of 1.1× shows the firm has taken on excessive debt, leaving little room for error

Corebridge Financial’s stock price of $26.45 implies a valuation ratio of 0.8x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including CRBG in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

ALSO WORTH WATCHING: Top 5 Momentum Stocks. The best time to own a great stock is when the market is finally noticing it. These aren't just high-quality businesses. Something is happening with them right now. Elite fundamentals meeting near-term momentum — both boxes checked at the same time.

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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.