Investors looking for hidden gems should keep an eye on small-cap stocks because they’re frequently overlooked by Wall Street. Many opportunities exist in this part of the market, but it is also a high-risk, high-reward environment due to the lack of reliable analyst price targets.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. That said, here are three small-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
FuelCell Energy (FCEL)
Market Cap: $122.4 million
Founded in 1969, FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) is a leading manufacturer and developer of carbonate fuel cell technology for stationary power generation.
Why Is FCEL Not Exciting?
- Average backlog growth of 6.2% over the past two years was mediocre and suggests fewer customers signed long-term contracts
- Free cash flow margin dropped by 31 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders
FuelCell Energy is trading at $5.41 per share, or 0.6x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including FCEL in your portfolio.
Tri Pointe Homes (TPH)
Market Cap: $3.09 billion
Established in 2009 in California, Tri Pointe Homes (NYSE: TPH) is a United States homebuilder recognized for its innovative and sustainable approach to creating premium, life-enhancing homes.
Why Do We Think TPH Will Underperform?
- Product roadmap and go-to-market strategy need to be reconsidered as its backlog has averaged 6.9% declines over the past two years
- Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 9.5% annually, worse than its revenue declines
- Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 8.8 percentage points
Tri Pointe Homes’s stock price of $34.09 implies a valuation ratio of 11x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why TPH doesn’t pass our bar.
ScanSource (SCSC)
Market Cap: $935.5 million
Operating as a crucial link in the technology supply chain since 1992, ScanSource (NASDAQ: SCSC) is a hybrid distributor that connects hardware, software, and cloud services from technology suppliers to resellers and business customers.
Why Should You Sell SCSC?
- Annual sales declines of 1.5% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Earnings per share have dipped by 8.5% annually over the past two years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
- ROIC of 8.2% reflects management’s challenges in identifying attractive investment opportunities
At $41.40 per share, ScanSource trades at 11.2x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than SCSC.
Stocks We Like More
Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.
While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market 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-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% 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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