1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves a Second Chance and 2 We Turn Down

1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves a Second Chance and 2 We Turn Down

Petr Huřťák

Mon, February 23, 2026 at 1:51 PM GMT+9 4 min read

In this article:

CTOS

+1.89%

AMGN

-0.20%

CCO

-0.41%

Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article. These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where Wall Street’s pessimism is creating a buying opportunity and two where the outlook is warranted.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Custom Truck One Source (CTOS)

Consensus Price Target: $7.75 (2.2% implied return)

Inspired by a family gas station, Custom Truck One Source (NYSE:CTOS) is a distributor of trucks and heavy equipment.

Why Is CTOS Not Exciting?

Annual revenue growth of 2.9% over the last two years was below our standards for the industrials sector

Earnings per share have dipped by 47.9% annually over the past two years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term

Free cash flow margin shrank by 19.4 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

At $7.58 per share, Custom Truck One Source trades at 8.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CTOS.

Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO)

Consensus Price Target: $2.20 (-8.1% implied return)

With thousands of digital and traditional displays lighting up America’s highways, city streets, and airports, Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE:CCO) operates billboards, street furniture, and airport displays, connecting advertisers with millions of consumers across the US.

Why Does CCO Fall Short?

Annual sales declines of 5.3% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle

Cash-burning tendencies make us wonder if it can sustainably generate shareholder value

13× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings

Clear Channel Outdoor’s stock price of $2.40 implies a valuation ratio of 14.5x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with CCO, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Watch:

Amgen (AMGN)

Consensus Price Target: $350.04 (-6.3% implied return)

Founded in 1980 during the early days of the biotechnology revolution, Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) is a biotechnology company that discovers, develops, and manufactures innovative medicines to treat serious illnesses like cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases.

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Why Could AMGN Be a Winner?

Annual revenue growth of 14.2% over the last two years beat the sector average and underscores the unique value of its offerings

Revenue base of $36.75 billion gives it economies of scale and some negotiating power

Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends

Amgen is trading at $373.55 per share, or 16.7x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even 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 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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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