Large-cap stocks are known for their staying power and ability to weather market storms better than smaller competitors. However, their sheer size makes it more challenging to maintain high growth rates as they’ve already captured significant portions of their markets.
This dynamic can trouble even the most skilled investors, but luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you navigate these trade-offs and uncover exceptional companies that break the mold. Keeping that in mind, here is one large-cap stock that still has big upside potential and two that could be stalling.
Two Large-Cap Stocks to Sell:
FedEx (FDX)
Market Cap: $65.27 billion
Sporting one of the largest air cargo fleets in the world, FedEx (NYSE:FDX) is a global provider of parcel and cargo delivery services.
Why Should You Sell FDX?
- Products and services are facing end-market challenges during this cycle, as seen in its flat sales over the last two years
- Poor free cash flow margin of 2.4% for the last five years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
- Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
FedEx’s stock price of $277.07 implies a valuation ratio of 14.6x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with FDX, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
MetLife (MET)
Market Cap: $51.45 billion
Founded in 1863 by a group of New York businessmen during the Civil War era, MetLife (NYSE:MET) is a global financial services company that provides insurance, annuities, employee benefits, and asset management services to individuals and businesses worldwide.
Why Should You Dump MET?
- Large revenue base constrains its growth potential, as seen in its unexciting 2.1% annualized increases in net premiums earned over the last five years fell below our expectations for the insurance sector
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 10% annually
- Book value per share tumbled by 11.6% annually over the last five years, showing insurance sector trends are working against its favor during this cycle
At $78.03 per share, MetLife trades at 2x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than MET.
One Large-Cap Stock to Watch:
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)
Market Cap: $112.2 billion
Founded in 1989 with a mission to create medicines that treat the underlying causes of disease rather than just symptoms, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRTX) develops and markets transformative medicines for serious diseases, with a focus on cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and pain management.
Why Does VRTX Stand Out?
- Annual revenue growth of 14.4% over the last five years beat the sector average and underscores the unique value of its offerings
- VRTX is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and its growing cash flow gives it even more resources to deploy
- ROIC punches in at 43%, illustrating management’s expertise in identifying profitable investments
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is trading at $440 per share, or 22.8x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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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