Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it’s worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.
At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bullish calls are justified. That said, here are two stocks where Wall Street’s excitement appears well-founded and one where consensus estimates seem disconnected from reality.
One Stock to Sell:
Graphic Packaging Holding (GPK)
Consensus Price Target: $23.15 (31.1% implied return)
Founded in 1991, Graphic Packaging (NYSE: GPK) is a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for a wide range of products.
Why Are We Out on GPK?
- Declining unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to accelerate growth
- Earnings per share have contracted by 10.4% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
- 8.9 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position
At $17.66 per share, Graphic Packaging Holding trades at 8.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than GPK.
Two Stocks to Watch:
Bank OZK (OZK)
Consensus Price Target: $55.78 (21.8% implied return)
Founded in 1903 and rebranded from Bank of the Ozarks in 2018, Bank OZK (NASDAQ: OZK) is a commercial bank that specializes in real estate lending while offering a full range of banking services to individuals and businesses.
Why Are We Positive On OZK?
- Annual net interest income growth of 12.6% over the last five years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last two years, increasing by 7.8% annually
- Impressive 10.5% annual tangible book value per share growth over the last five years indicates it’s building equity value this cycle
Bank OZK is trading at $45.80 per share, or 0.9x forward P/B. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
Axos Financial (AX)
Consensus Price Target: $103.50 (28.7% implied return)
Originally founded as Bank of Internet USA in 1999 before rebranding in 2018, Axos Financial (NYSE: AX) is a diversified financial services company that provides digital banking, securities clearing, and investment advisory solutions to retail and business customers nationwide.
Why Are We Bullish on AX?
- Impressive 15.9% annual net interest income growth over the last five years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
- Differentiated product suite is reflected in its Strong performance of its loan book leads to a High-yielding loan book and low cost of funds result in a best-in-class net interest margin of 4.8%
- Earnings growth has trumped its peers over the last two years as its EPS has compounded at 18% annually
Axos Financial’s stock price of $80.40 implies a valuation ratio of 1.4x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
Stocks We Like Even More
When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.
Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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).
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. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
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