A highly volatile stock can deliver big gains - or just as easily wipe out a portfolio if things go south. While some investors embrace risk, mistakes can be costly for those who aren’t prepared.
At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. Keeping that in mind, here are two volatile stocks that could deliver huge gains and one that might not be worth the risk.
One Stock to Sell:
BankUnited (BKU)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.07
Born from the ashes of a failed Florida thrift during the 2009 financial crisis, BankUnited (NYSE:BKU) is a regional bank that provides commercial lending, deposit services, and treasury solutions to businesses and consumers primarily in Florida and the New York metropolitan area.
Why Are We Hesitant About BKU?
- 5.6% annual net interest income growth over the last five years was slower than its banking peers
- Overall productivity is expected to decrease over the next year as Wall Street thinks its efficiency ratio will degrade by 15.3 percentage points
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last five years as they only grew by 4.9% annually
BankUnited is trading at $50.94 per share, or 1.1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why BKU doesn’t pass our bar.
Two Stocks to Watch:
CrowdStrike (CRWD)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.61
Known for detecting the massive SolarWinds hack in 2020 that compromised numerous government agencies, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions that protect endpoints, cloud workloads, identity, and data through its Falcon platform.
Why Is CRWD a Top Pick?
- Billings growth has averaged 24% over the last year, indicating a healthy pipeline of new contracts that should drive future revenue increases
- Sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months implies the business will stay on its desirable two-year growth trajectory
- User-friendly software enables clients to ramp up spending quickly, leading to the speedy recovery of customer acquisition costs
CrowdStrike’s stock price of $397.90 implies a valuation ratio of 17x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.
Dave (DAVE)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.02
Named after the biblical David fighting financial Goliaths, Dave (NASDAQ:DAVE) is a digital financial services platform that helps Americans living paycheck to paycheck with cash advances, banking services, and tools to improve their financial health.
Why Do We Like DAVE?
- Market share has increased this cycle as its 41.4% annual revenue growth over the last two years was exceptional
- Additional sales over the last two years increased its profitability as the 137% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue
At $183.25 per share, Dave trades at 11x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
If your portfolio success hinges on just 4 stocks, your wealth is built on fragile ground. You have a small window to secure high-quality assets before the market widens and these prices disappear.
Don’t wait for the next volatility shock. Check 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 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.