Value investing has produced some of the world’s most famous investing billionaires, including Warren Buffett, David Einhorn, and Seth Klarman, who built their fortunes by purchasing wonderful businesses at reasonable prices. But these hidden gems are few and far between - many stocks that appear cheap often stay that way because they face structural issues.
Separating the winners from the value traps is a tough challenge, and that’s where StockStory comes in. Our job is to find you high-quality companies that will stand the test of time. That said, here are three value stocks with little support and some other investments you should consider instead.
LiveRamp (RAMP)
Forward P/S Ratio: 1.7x
Serving as the digital middleman in an increasingly privacy-conscious world, LiveRamp (NYSE:RAMP) provides technology that helps companies securely share and connect their customer data with trusted partners while maintaining privacy compliance.
Why Is RAMP Not Exciting?
- Underwhelming ARR growth of 6.8% over the last year suggests the company faced challenges in acquiring and retaining long-term customers
- Struggled to drive increased usage of its software, demonstrated by its subpar 104% net revenue retention rate
- Estimated sales growth of 9% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
LiveRamp is trading at $23.70 per share, or 1.7x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering RAMP for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Gibraltar (ROCK)
Forward P/E Ratio: 13.1x
Gibraltar (NASDAQ:ROCK) makes renewable energy, agriculture technology and infrastructure products. Its mission statement is to make everyday living more sustainable.
Why Should You Dump ROCK?
- Annual sales declines of 7.4% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Demand will likely be weak over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue
- Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 3.1% annually
At $53.30 per share, Gibraltar trades at 13.1x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ROCK in your portfolio.
Solventum (SOLV)
Forward P/E Ratio: 12.6x
Founded in 1985, Solventum (NYSE:SOLV) develops, manufactures, and commercializes a portfolio of healthcare products and services addressing critical customer and therapeutic patient needs.
Why Do We Pass on SOLV?
- Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
- Estimated sales decline of 5.2% for the next 12 months implies a challenging demand environment
- Free cash flow margin shrank by 30.1 percentage points over the last four years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
Solventum’s stock price of $78.07 implies a valuation ratio of 12.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than SOLV.
Stocks We Like More
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 6 Stocks for this week. 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.