1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves Some Love and 2 We Avoid

Barchart·04/03/2026 06:06:18

When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it’s worth paying attention. These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.

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. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where Wall Street’s pessimism is creating a buying opportunity and two facing legitimate challenges.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Tyson Foods (TSN)

Consensus Price Target: $67.46 (5.2% implied return)

Started as a simple trucking business, Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) is one of the world’s largest producers of chicken, beef, and pork.

Why Do We Avoid TSN?

1. Flat unit sales over the past two years show it’s struggled to move its products and had to rely on price increases
2. Easily substituted products (and therefore stiff competition) result in an inferior gross margin of 7.1% that must be offset through higher volumes
3. Sales over the last three years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 16.2% annually while its revenue was flat

Tyson Foods is trading at $64.15 per share, or 15.5x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including TSN in your portfolio.

Ziff Davis (ZD)

Consensus Price Target: $43.43 (0.6% implied return)

Originally a pioneering technology publisher founded in 1927 that became famous for PC Magazine, Ziff Davis (NASDAQ:ZD) operates a portfolio of digital media brands and subscription services across technology, shopping, gaming, healthcare, and cybersecurity markets.

Why Are We Out on ZD?

1. Flat sales over the last five years suggest it must find different ways to grow during this cycle
2. Earnings per share fell by 4.1% annually over the last five years while its revenue was flat, showing each sale was less profitable
3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 9.3 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

At $43.19 per share, Ziff Davis trades at 6x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ZD, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Buy:

ConocoPhillips (COP)

Consensus Price Target: $130.29 (-0.3% implied return)

Operating the famous Prudhoe Bay field discovered in 1968 that transformed Alaska's economy, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) explores for and produces crude oil, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Why Are We Bullish on COP?

1. Annual revenue growth of 26.2% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
2. Massive revenue base of $61.55 billion makes it a household name that influences purchasing decisions
3. Strong free cash flow margin of 17.5% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently

ConocoPhillips’s stock price of $130.63 implies a valuation ratio of 18.5x 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

ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively.

Find out which 5 stocks it's flagging for this month — FREE. Get Our Top 5 Growth Stocks for Free HERE.

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 Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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