3 Unpopular Stocks Walking a Fine Line
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 skepticism is well-placed and some better opportunities to consider.
Allient (ALNT)
Consensus Price Target: $76.80 (-12.1% implied return)
Founded in 1962, Allient (NASDAQ:ALNT) develops and manufactures precision and specialty-controlled motion components and systems.
Why Does ALNT Give Us Pause?
- Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 1.7% annually over the last two years
- Earnings per share have contracted by 2.4% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
- Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively
At $87.38 per share, Allient trades at 32.9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ALNT.
DaVita (DVA)
Consensus Price Target: $202.14 (-14.1% implied return)
With over 2,600 dialysis centers across the United States and a presence in 13 countries, DaVita (NYSE:DVA) operates a network of dialysis centers providing treatment and care for patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease.
Why Are We Wary of DVA?
- Flat treatments over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to accelerate growth
- Estimated sales growth of 2.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
- Free cash flow margin shrank by 1.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
DaVita’s stock price of $235.39 implies a valuation ratio of 15.2x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why DVA doesn’t pass our bar.
KeyCorp (KEY)
Consensus Price Target: $25.85 (11.2% implied return)
Tracing its roots back to 1849 during the California Gold Rush era, KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) operates KeyBank, a full-service regional bank providing retail and commercial banking, wealth management, and investment services across 15 states.
Why Are We Hesitant About KEY?
- Muted 3.4% annual net interest income growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its banking peers
- Net interest margin of 2.6% reflects its high servicing and capital costs
- Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 1.5% annually while its revenue grew
KeyCorp is trading at $23.25 per share, or 1.4x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with KEY, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Stocks We Like More
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Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.