- LIVE QUOTES
- LEARN
- HELP
Wall Street JournalEN
3 Large-Cap Stocks in Hot Water
Large-cap stocks are known for their staying power and ability to weather market storms better than smaller competitors. However, their sheer size makes it more challenging to maintain high growth rates as they’ve already captured significant portions of their markets.
This dynamic can trouble even the most skilled investors, but luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you navigate these trade-offs and uncover exceptional companies that break the mold. That said, here are three large-cap stocks whose existing offerings may be tapped out and some other investments you should look into instead.
Electronic Arts (EA)
Market Cap: $36.92 billion
Best known for its Madden NFL and FIFA sports franchises, Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) is one of the world’s largest video game publishers.
Why Do We Think Twice About EA?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last three years as its 2.1% annual growth was below the typical consumer internet company
- Projected sales are flat for the next 12 months, implying demand will slow from its three-year trend
- Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last few years, causing its EBITDA margin to decline by 8.1 percentage points
Electronic Arts’s stock price of $147.50 implies a valuation ratio of 14.7x forward EV/EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than EA.
Coupang (CPNG)
Market Cap: $48.86 billion
Founded in 2010 by Harvard Business School student Bom Kim, Coupang (NYSE:CPNG) is an e-commerce giant often referred to as the "Amazon of South Korea".
Why Are We Cautious About CPNG?
- Bad unit economics and steep infrastructure costs are reflected in its low gross margin of 28%
- Poor free cash flow margin of 4.4% for the last two years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
At $26.93 per share, Coupang trades at 27.8x forward EV/EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including CPNG in your portfolio.
Ford (F)
Market Cap: $42.35 billion
Established to make automobiles accessible to a broader segment of the population, Ford (NYSE:F) designs, manufactures, and sells a variety of automobiles, trucks, and electric vehicles.
Why Should You Sell F?
- Flat vehicles sold over the past two years imply it may need to invest in improvements to get back on track
- Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 13.4 percentage points
- 8× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings
Ford is trading at $10.61 per share, or 7.8x forward P/E. If you’re considering F for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Stocks We Like More
Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs.
While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years.
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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.