Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.
Whatever the consensus opinion may be, our team at StockStory cuts through the noise by conducting independent analysis to determine a company’s long-term prospects. That said, here are three stocks where the outlook is warranted and some alternatives with better fundamentals.
MSA Safety (MSA)
Consensus Price Target: $212.43 (5.2% implied return)
Founded in 1914 as Mine Safety Appliances to protect coal miners from dangerous gases, MSA Safety (NYSE:MSA) designs and manufactures advanced safety products that protect workers and facilities across industries including fire service, energy, construction, and manufacturing.
Why Are We Hesitant About MSA?
- Muted 2.4% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its business services peers
- Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 6.2% annually
MSA Safety is trading at $201.94 per share, or 23x forward P/E. If you’re considering MSA for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Jabil (JBL)
Consensus Price Target: $264.50 (3% implied return)
With manufacturing facilities spanning the globe from China to Mexico to the United States, Jabil (NYSE:JBL) provides electronics design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions to companies across various industries, from healthcare to automotive to cloud computing.
Why Is JBL Not Exciting?
- Annual sales declines of 3.6% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 9.2% annually
- Poor free cash flow margin of 3.4% for the last five years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
Jabil’s stock price of $256.91 implies a valuation ratio of 21.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with JBL, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Columbia Financial (CLBK)
Consensus Price Target: $18 (-2.1% implied return)
Founded during the Roaring Twenties in 1926 and headquartered in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, Columbia Financial (NASDAQ:CLBK) operates federally chartered savings banks in New Jersey that offer traditional banking services including loans, deposits, and insurance products.
Why Do We Avoid CLBK?
- Loans are facing end-market challenges during this cycle, as seen in its flat net interest income over the last five years
- Net interest margin of 2.1% is well below other banks, signaling its loans aren’t very profitable
- Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 1.9% annually while its revenue grew
At $18.38 per share, Columbia Financial trades at 1.5x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CLBK doesn’t pass our bar.
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 Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.