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While the S&P 500 (^GSPC) includes industry leaders, not every stock in the index is a winner. Some companies are past their prime, weighed down by poor execution, weak financials, or structural headwinds.
Even among blue-chip stocks, not all investments are created equal - which is why we built StockStory to help you navigate the market. Keeping that in mind, here are three S&P 500 stocks that don’t make the cut and some better choices instead.
Jabil (JBL)
Market Cap: $17.75 billion
With manufacturing facilities spanning the globe from China to Mexico to the United States, Jabil (NYSE:JBL) provides electronics design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions to companies across various industries, from healthcare to automotive to cloud computing.
Why Is JBL Not Exciting?
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Annual sales declines of 11.6% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
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Flat earnings per share over the last two years lagged its peers
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Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital
At $165.99 per share, Jabil trades at 17.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering JBL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
DaVita (DVA)
Market Cap: $10.43 billion
With over 2,600 dialysis centers across the United States and a presence in 13 countries, DaVita (NYSE:DVA) operates a network of dialysis centers providing treatment and care for patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease.
Why Are We Wary of DVA?
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Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 2.5% for the last five years
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Flat treatments over the past two years show it’s struggled to increase its sales volumes and had to rely on price increases
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Estimated sales growth of 4.6% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
DaVita is trading at $138.19 per share, or 12x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including DVA in your portfolio, it’s free.
Zebra (ZBRA)
Market Cap: $14.45 billion
Taking its name from the black and white stripes of barcodes, Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) provides barcode scanners, mobile computers, RFID systems, and other data capture technologies that help businesses track assets and optimize operations.
Why Are We Out on ZBRA?
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Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
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Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 8.2% annually, worse than its revenue declines
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Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions