In This Article:
Great things are happening to the stocks in this article. They’re all outperforming the market over the last month because of positive catalysts such as a new product line, constructive news flow, or even a loyal Reddit fanbase.
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 is one stock with lasting competitive advantages and two not so much.
Two Momentum Stocks to Sell:
Advanced Energy (AEIS)
One-Month Return: +35.8%
Pioneering technologies for radio frequency power delivery, Advanced Energy (NASDAQ:AEIS) provides power supplies, thermal management systems, and measurement and control instruments for various manufacturing processes.
Why Do We Think AEIS Will Underperform?
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Sales tumbled by 8.8% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
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Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6.6 percentage points
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Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
Advanced Energy is trading at $111.29 per share, or 22.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering AEIS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Orion (ORN)
One-Month Return: +42%
Established in 1994, Orion (NYSE:ORN) provides construction services for marine infrastructure and industrial projects.
Why Are We Out on ORN?
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Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 2.4% annual growth was below the typical industrials company
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Performance over the past five years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 10.1% annually
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Poor free cash flow margin of -0.2% for the last five years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
At $7.24 per share, Orion trades at 44.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ORN doesn’t pass our bar.
One Momentum Stock to Buy:
Quanta (PWR)
One-Month Return: +31%
A construction engineering services company, Quanta (NYSE:PWR) provides infrastructure solutions to a variety of sectors, including energy and communications.
Why Will PWR Outperform?
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Sales pipeline is in good shape as its backlog averaged 23.1% growth over the past two years
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Estimated revenue growth of 10.2% for the next 12 months implies its momentum over the last two years will continue
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Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last two years, increasing by 22.4% annually