1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves Some Love and 2 We Ignore

Barchart·06/17/2026 03:38:38

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 where the skepticism is well-placed.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Qualcomm (QCOM)

Consensus Price Target: $180.48 (-15.9% implied return)

Having been at the forefront of developing the standards for cellular connectivity for over four decades, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) is a leading innovator and a fabless manufacturer of wireless technology chips used in smartphones, autos and internet of things appliances.

Why Are We Hesitant About QCOM?

1. Sales are projected to tank by 8.8% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates
2. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 7.2 percentage points

Qualcomm is trading at $214.58 per share, or 22.6x forward P/E. If you’re considering QCOM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Carter's (CRI)

Consensus Price Target: $40.67 (-1% implied return)

Rumored to sell more than 10 products for every child born in the United States, Carter's (NYSE:CRI) is an American designer and marketer of children's apparel.

Why Do We Pass on CRI?

1. Weak same-store sales trends over the past two years suggest there may be few opportunities in its core markets to open new locations
2. Low free cash flow margin of 6% for the last two years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders
3. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned

Carter’s stock price of $41.10 implies a valuation ratio of 12.4x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CRI doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Buy:

JFrog (FROG)

Consensus Price Target: $82.15 (2.2% implied return)

Named after the amphibian that continuously evolves from egg to tadpole to adult, JFrog (NASDAQ:FROG) provides a platform that helps organizations securely create, store, manage, and distribute software packages across any system.

Why Are We Backing FROG?

1. Ability to secure long-term commitments with customers is evident in its 23.7% ARR growth over the last year
2. Software platform has product-market fit given the rapid recovery of its customer acquisition costs
3. FROG is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

At $80.37 per share, JFrog trades at 14.7x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

ALSO WORTH WATCHING: Top 5 Momentum Stocks. The best time to own a great stock is when the market is finally noticing it. These aren’t just high-quality businesses. Something is happening with them right now. Elite fundamentals meet near-term momentum — both boxes checked at the same time.

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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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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