"You get what you pay for" often applies to expensive stocks with best-in-class business models and execution. While their quality can sometimes justify the premium, they typically experience elevated volatility during market downturns when expectations change.
Finding the right balance between price and quality can challenge even the most skilled investors. Luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you identify the real opportunities. That said, here is one high-flying stock expanding its competitive advantage and two climbing an uphill battle.
Two High-Flying Stocks to Sell:
OneWater (ONEW)
Forward P/E Ratio: 50.3x
A public company since early 2020, OneWater Marine (NASDAQ: ONEW) sells boats, yachts, and other marine products.
Why Do We Steer Clear of ONEW?
- Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it’s having trouble bringing new shoppers into its brick-and-mortar locations
- Performance over the past three years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 53.6% annually
- High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 7× could force the company to raise capital at unfavorable terms if market conditions deteriorate
At $9.92 per share, OneWater trades at 50.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ONEW doesn’t pass our bar.
SunOpta (STKL)
Forward P/E Ratio: 36.6x
Committed to clean-label foods, SunOpta (NASDAQ: STKL) is a sustainability-focused food and beverage company specializing in the sourcing, processing, and packaging of organic products.
Why Are We Out on STKL?
- Products have few die-hard fans as sales have declined by 1.6% annually over the last three years
- Revenue base of $792.4 million puts it at a disadvantage compared to larger competitors exhibiting economies of scale
- Easily substituted products (and therefore stiff competition) result in an inferior gross margin of 15.5% that must be offset through higher volumes
SunOpta’s stock price of $6.49 implies a valuation ratio of 36.6x forward P/E. If you’re considering STKL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
One High-Flying Stock to Buy:
Core Natural Resources (CNR)
Forward P/E Ratio: 45.9x
Tracing its origins to 1864 and operating some mines southwest of Pittsburgh, Core Natural Resources (NYSE: CNR) mines and exports metallurgical coal used in steelmaking and thermal coal for power generation.
Why Is CNR a Good Business?
- Annual revenue growth of 15.1% over the past nine years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
- Economies of scale give it some operating leverage when demand rises
- Strong free cash flow margin of 13.6% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently
Core Natural Resources is trading at $102.50 per share, or 45.9x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively.
Find out which 5 stocks it's flagging for this month — FREE. Get Our Top 5 Growth Stocks for Free HERE.
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 Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
