Low-volatility stocks may offer stability, but that often comes at the cost of slower growth and the upside potential of more dynamic companies.
Finding the right balance between safety and returns isn’t easy, which is why StockStory is here to help. That said, here are three low-volatility stocks to avoid and some better opportunities instead.
eBay (EBAY)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.29
Originally known as the first online auction site, eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces.
Why Does EBAY Fall Short?
- Active Buyers have stagnated over the last two years, indicating its platform may be struggling to differentiate itself from competitors
- Projected sales growth of 6.5% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
- Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last few years as its EBITDA margin fell by 3.5 percentage points
eBay’s stock price of $80.06 implies a valuation ratio of 10.6x forward EV/EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why EBAY doesn’t pass our bar.
PVH (PVH)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.59
Founded in 1881 by a husband and wife duo, PVH (NYSE:PVH) is a global fashion conglomerate with iconic brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
Why Should You Dump PVH?
- Constant currency revenue growth has disappointed over the past two years and shows demand was soft
- Estimated sales growth of 2.6% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
- ROIC of 1.3% reflects management’s challenges in identifying attractive investment opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam
PVH is trading at $72.80 per share, or 6.4x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including PVH in your portfolio.
Clean Harbors (CLH)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.90
Established in 1980, Clean Harbors (NYSE:CLH) provides environmental and industrial services like hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal and emergency spill cleanups.
Why Are We Cautious About CLH?
- Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
- Estimated sales growth of 3.5% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 5% annually
At $209.13 per share, Clean Harbors trades at 26.7x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CLH.
Stocks We Like More
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 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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 for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
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