3 Inflated Stocks Walking a Fine Line

LNW Cover Image

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. All that said, here are three stocks getting more buzz than they deserve and some you should buy instead.

Light & Wonder (LNW)

One-Month Return: +16%

With names as crazy as Ultimate Fire Link Power 4 for its products, Light & Wonder (NASDAQ: LNW) is a gaming company supplying the casino industry with slot machines, table games, and digital games.

Why Does LNW Worry Us?

  1. Sales stagnated over the last five years and signal the need for new growth strategies
  2. Projected sales growth of 9.9% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

Light & Wonder’s stock price of $97.71 implies a valuation ratio of 16.7x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including LNW in your portfolio.

SoundHound AI (SOUN)

One-Month Return: +19.4%

Founded in 2005, SoundHound AI (NASDAQ: SOUN) develops independent voice artificial intelligence solutions that enable businesses across various industries to offer customized conversational experiences to consumers.

Why Are We Cautious About SOUN?

  1. Sky-high servicing costs result in an inferior gross margin of 44.1% that must be offset through increased usage
  2. Operating margin fell by 39 percentage points over the last year as it prioritized growth over profits
  3. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model

SoundHound AI is trading at $11.61 per share, or 29.2x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with SOUN, check out our full research report (it’s free).

The Bancorp (TBBK)

One-Month Return: +25.8%

Operating behind the scenes of many popular fintech apps and prepaid cards you might use daily, The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK) is a bank holding company that specializes in providing banking services to fintech companies and offering specialty lending products.

Why Do We Think Twice About TBBK?

  1. Estimated net interest income growth of 4.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its four-year trend
  2. Low interest coverage ratio indicates the company may struggle to service its debt obligations if operational performance deteriorates

At $63.08 per share, The Bancorp trades at 3.2x forward P/B. If you’re considering TBBK for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.

While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we’re homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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