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. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks facing legitimate challenges and some alternatives worth exploring instead.
Kellanova (K)
Consensus Price Target: $83.39 (0.7% implied return)
With Corn Flakes as its first and most iconic product, Kellanova (NYSE:K) is a packaged foods company that is dominant in the cereal and snack categories.
Why Are We Wary of K?
- Shrinking unit sales over the past two years show it’s struggled to move its products and had to rely on price increases
- Anticipated sales growth of 2% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
- Issuance of new shares over the last three years caused its earnings per share to fall by 4.4% annually, even worse than its revenue declines
At $82.85 per share, Kellanova trades at 22.5x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including K in your portfolio.
AECOM (ACM)
Consensus Price Target: $136.83 (2.3% implied return)
Founded in 1990 when a group of engineers from five companies decided to merge, AECOM (NYSE:ACM) provides various infrastructure consulting services.
Why Does ACM Fall Short?
- Backlog has dropped by 2% on average over the past two years, suggesting it’s losing orders as competition picks up
- Gross margin of 6.6% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
- Operating margin of 4.5% falls short of the industry average, and the smaller profit dollars make it harder to react to unexpected market developments
AECOM is trading at $133.75 per share, or 24.2x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ACM.
JELD-WEN (JELD)
Consensus Price Target: $4.55 (-0.7% implied return)
Founded in the 1960s as a general wood-making company, JELD-WEN (NYSE:JELD) manufactures doors, windows, and other related building products.
Why Are We Out on JELD?
- Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
- Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
- Unfavorable liquidity position could lead to additional equity financing that dilutes shareholders
JELD-WEN’s stock price of $4.58 implies a valuation ratio of 16.1x forward P/E. If you’re considering JELD for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.
Take advantage of the rebound by checking out 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 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
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