Mid-cap stocks often strike the right balance between having proven business models and market opportunities that can support $100 billion corporations. However, they face intense competition from scaled industry giants and can be disrupted by new innovative players vying for a slice of the pie.
These dynamics can rattle even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here is one mid-cap stock with huge upside potential and two that could be down big.
Two Mid-Cap Stocks to Sell:
Deckers (DECK)
Market Cap: $13.48 billion
Established in 1973, Deckers (NYSE:DECK) is a footwear and apparel conglomerate with a portfolio of lifestyle and performance brands.
Why Do We Avoid DECK?
- Constant currency growth was below our standards over the past two years, suggesting it might need to invest in product improvements to get back on track
- Operating margin of 23.7% falls short of the industry average, and the smaller profit dollars make it harder to react to unexpected market developments
- Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital
Deckers’s stock price of $94.75 implies a valuation ratio of 13.1x forward P/E. If you’re considering DECK for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Warner Music Group (WMG)
Market Cap: $12.59 billion
Launching the careers of legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Warner Music Group (NASDAQ:WMG) is a music company managing a diverse portfolio of artists, recordings, and music publishing services worldwide.
Why Do We Steer Clear of WMG?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 8.7% annual growth was below the typical consumer discretionary company
- Free cash flow margin is forecasted to grow by 1.6 percentage points in the coming year, potentially giving the company more chips to play with
- Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
At $24.22 per share, Warner Music Group trades at 15.5x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why WMG doesn’t pass our bar.
One Mid-Cap Stock to Watch:
Burlington (BURL)
Market Cap: $19.36 billion
Founded in 1972 as a discount coat and outerwear retailer, Burlington Stores (NYSE:BURL) is now an off-price retailer that has broadened into general apparel, footwear, and home goods.
Why Do We Watch BURL?
- Offensive push to build new stores and attack its untapped market opportunities is backed by its same-store sales growth
- Locations open for at least a year are seeing increased demand as same-store sales have averaged 3% growth over the past two years
- Notable projected revenue growth of 9.8% for the next 12 months hints at market share gains
Burlington is trading at $310.53 per share, or 27.4x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
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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.