Mid-cap stocks often strike the right balance between having proven business models and market opportunities that can support $100 billion corporations. However, they face intense competition from scaled industry giants and can be disrupted by new innovative players vying for a slice of the pie.
These dynamics can rattle even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here are three mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Lattice Semiconductor (LSCC)
Market Cap: $11.38 billion
A global leader in its category, Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC) is a semiconductor designer specializing in customer-programmable chips that enhance CPU performance for intensive tasks such as machine learning.
Why Do We Think Twice About LSCC?
- Sales tumbled by 18.4% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
- Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 18.8 percentage points
- Earnings growth over the last five years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 5.5% annually
At $83.28 per share, Lattice Semiconductor trades at 60.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why LSCC doesn’t pass our bar.
Charter (CHTR)
Market Cap: $23.84 billion
Operating as Spectrum, Charter (NASDAQ: CHTR) is a leading telecommunications company offering cable television, high-speed internet, and voice services across the United States.
Why Do We Avoid CHTR?
- Number of internet subscribers has disappointed over the past two years, indicating weak demand for its offerings
- Free cash flow margin is expected to remain in place over the coming year
- Rising returns on capital show management is making relatively better investments
Charter is trading at $186.63 per share, or 4.5x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CHTR.
CNA Financial (CNA)
Market Cap: $12.56 billion
With roots dating back to 1853 and majority ownership by Loews Corporation, CNA Financial (NYSE: CNA) is a commercial property and casualty insurance provider offering coverage for businesses, including professional liability, surety bonds, and specialized risk management services.
Why Do We Pass on CNA?
- Large revenue base constrains its growth potential, as seen in its unexciting 7.3% annualized increases in net premiums earned over the last five years fell below our expectations for the insurance sector
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 6.8% annually
- Products and services are facing significant credit quality challenges during this cycle as book value per share has declined by 1.1% annually over the last five years
CNA Financial’s stock price of $46.41 implies a valuation ratio of 9.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering CNA for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Stocks We Like More
Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.
The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here in our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).
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 Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
