Volatility cuts both ways - while it creates opportunities, it also increases risk, making sharp declines just as likely as big gains. This unpredictability can shake out even the most experienced investors.
At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. That said, here is one volatile stock that could deliver huge gains and two best left to the gamblers.
Two Stocks to Sell:
Albany (AIN)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.45
Founded in 1895, Albany (NYSE:AIN) is a global textiles and materials processing company, specializing in machine clothing for paper mills and engineered composite structures for aerospace and other industries.
Why Do We Avoid AIN?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 2.5% annual growth was below the typical industrials company
- Free cash flow margin shrank by 9.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
- Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results
Albany is trading at $49.48 per share, or 16.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with AIN, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Orion (ORN)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.34
Established in 1994, Orion (NYSE:ORN) provides construction services for marine infrastructure and industrial projects.
Why Do We Pass on ORN?
- Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth won’t meet our standards as its backlog averaged 1.7% declines over the past two years
- Issuance of new shares over the last five years caused its earnings per share to fall by 3.8% annually while its revenue grew
- Low free cash flow margin of -0.7% for the last five years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders
Orion’s stock price of $10.09 implies a valuation ratio of 40.4x forward P/E. If you’re considering ORN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
One Stock to Watch:
Community Bank (CBU)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.09
Tracing its roots back to 1866 in upstate New York, Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU) is a financial holding company that provides banking, employee benefits, wealth management, and insurance services to retail, commercial, and municipal customers.
Why Do We Like CBU?
- Annual revenue growth of 10.8% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Earnings per share grew by 5.5% annually over the last two years, massively outpacing its peers
- Capital strength will likely rise over the next 12 months as its expected tangible book value per share growth of 20.2% is robust
At $56.64 per share, Community Bank trades at 1.5x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.
The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. 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 Comfort Systems (+782% 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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