Investors looking for hidden gems should keep an eye on small-cap stocks because they’re frequently overlooked by Wall Street. Many opportunities exist in this part of the market, but it is also a high-risk, high-reward environment due to the lack of reliable analyst price targets.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here are three small-cap stocks to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.
Getty Images (GETY)
Market Cap: $318.2 million
With a vast library of over 562 million visual assets documenting everything from breaking news to iconic historical moments, Getty Images (NYSE: GETY) is a global visual content marketplace that licenses photos, videos, illustrations, and music to businesses, media outlets, and creative professionals.
Why Does GETY Fall Short?
- 3.5% annual revenue growth over the last five years was slower than its business services peers
- Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 12.4 percentage points
- Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
Getty Images is trading at $0.82 per share, or 5.9x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with GETY, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Marriott Vacations (VAC)
Market Cap: $3.19 billion
Spun off from Marriott International in 1984, Marriott Vacations (NYSE: VAC) is a vacation company providing leisure experiences for travelers around the world.
Why Do We Avoid VAC?
- Eroding returns on capital from an already low base indicate that management’s recent investments are destroying value
- 11× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings
At $100.25 per share, Marriott Vacations trades at 12.8x forward P/E. If you’re considering VAC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL)
Market Cap: $8.87 billion
Operating through five distinct regional banking divisions across the western United States, Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) provides commercial banking, treasury management, mortgage services, and specialized financial solutions through its banking divisions and subsidiaries.
Why Does WAL Worry Us?
- Net interest margin jumped by -3.6 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) over the last two years, giving the firm more resources to pursue growth initiatives
- Projected 6 percentage point efficiency ratio increase over the next year signals its day-to-day expenses will rise
- Annual earnings per share growth of 5.8% underperformed its revenue over the last five years, showing its incremental sales were less profitable
Western Alliance Bancorporation’s stock price of $81.54 implies a valuation ratio of 1.1x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than WAL.
Stocks We Like More
WHILE YOU’RE HERE: Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. The best stocks don’t just beat the market once. They do it again. And again. Robust revenue growth, rising free cash flow, returns on capital that leave their competition in the dust. The market has already rewarded these businesses.
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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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
