Exciting developments are taking place for the stocks in this article. They’ve all surged ahead of the broader market over the last month as catalysts such as new products and positive media coverage have propelled their returns.
But not every company with momentum is a long-term winner, and plenty of investors have lost money betting on short-term fads. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks getting more buzz than they deserve and some you should buy instead.
Getty Images (GETY)
One-Month Return: +19.3%
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 Do We Think GETY Will Underperform?
- 3.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its business services peers
- Free cash flow margin dropped by 14.8 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
Getty Images’s stock price of $0.93 implies a valuation ratio of 27.9x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why GETY doesn’t pass our bar.
AAON (AAON)
One-Month Return: +15.9%
Backed by two million square feet of lab testing space, AAON (NASDAQ: AAON) makes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment for different types of buildings.
Why Do We Think Twice About AAON?
- Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 3.7 percentage points
- Incremental sales over the last two years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 21.5% annually while its revenue grew
- 14.3 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 $97.35 per share, AAON trades at 48.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with AAON, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Centene (CNC)
One-Month Return: +23.4%
Serving nearly 1 in 15 Americans through its government healthcare programs, Centene (NYSE: CNC) is a healthcare company that manages government-sponsored health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare for low-income and complex-needs populations.
Why Are We Wary of CNC?
- Weak customer trends over the past two years suggest it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
- Earnings per share fell by 16.3% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
- Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned
Centene is trading at $40.69 per share, or 12.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CNC.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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.
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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.
