Many investors pay attention to mid-cap stocks because they have established business models and expansive market opportunities. However, their paths to becoming $100 billion corporations are ripe with competition, ranging from giants with vast resources to agile upstarts eager to disrupt the status quo.
This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are three mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Akamai Technologies (AKAM)
Market Cap: $13.63 billion
With a massive distributed network spanning 4,100+ points of presence in nearly 130 countries, Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ:AKAM) provides a global distributed cloud platform that helps businesses deliver, secure, and optimize their digital experiences online.
Why Is AKAM Risky?
- 5.1% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its software peers
- Gross margin of 59.1% is way below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
- Long payback periods on sales and marketing expenses limit customer growth and signal the company operates in a highly competitive environment
At $94.78 per share, Akamai Technologies trades at 3.2x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering AKAM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Expeditors (EXPD)
Market Cap: $21.93 billion
Expeditors (NYSE:EXPD) offers air and ocean freight as well as brokerage services.
Why Does EXPD Fall Short?
- Annual sales growth of 3.3% over the last two years lagged behind its industrials peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
- Gross margin of 13.4% reflects its high production costs
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
Expeditors’s stock price of $163.64 implies a valuation ratio of 28x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than EXPD.
Align Technology (ALGN)
Market Cap: $13.81 billion
Pioneering an alternative to traditional metal braces with nearly invisible plastic aligners, Align Technology (NASDAQ:ALGN) designs and manufactures Invisalign clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and dental CAD/CAM software for orthodontic and restorative treatments.
Why Are We Wary of ALGN?
- Annual revenue growth of 2.2% over the last two years was below our standards for the healthcare sector
- Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 5.3 percentage points
- Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
Align Technology is trading at $192.60 per share, or 16.8x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ALGN in your portfolio.
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