The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say nice things about companies so their firms can win business in other product lines like M&A advisory.
Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. Keeping that in mind, here are two stocks likely to meet or exceed Wall Street’s lofty expectations and one where consensus estimates seem disconnected from reality.
One Stock to Sell:
UiPath (PATH)
Consensus Price Target: $14.15 (25.9% implied return)
Starting with robotic process automation (RPA) and evolving into a comprehensive automation powerhouse, UiPath (NYSE:PATH) provides an AI-powered business automation platform that enables organizations to create software robots that mimic human actions to streamline repetitive tasks and processes.
Why Does PATH Fall Short?
- Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 4.2% over the last year did not impress
- Competitive market means the company must spend more on sales and marketing to stand out even if the return on investment is low
- Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating margin losses
UiPath is trading at $11.24 per share, or 3.9x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why PATH doesn’t pass our bar.
Two Stocks to Watch:
HubSpot (HUBS)
Consensus Price Target: $695.80 (54.8% implied return)
Born from the idea that traditional interruptive marketing was becoming less effective, HubSpot (NYSE:HUBS) provides an integrated platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and manage customer relationships through marketing, sales, service, and content management tools.
Why Are We Fans of HUBS?
- Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 21.3% over the last year
- Sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months implies the business will stay on its desirable three-year growth trajectory
- Superior software functionality and low servicing costs lead to a stellar gross margin of 84.6%
HubSpot’s stock price of $449.38 implies a valuation ratio of 7.1x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.
Upwork (UPWK)
Consensus Price Target: $18.70 (34.2% implied return)
Formed through the 2013 merger of Elance and oDesk, Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) is an online platform where businesses and independent professionals connect to get work done.
Why Could UPWK Be a Winner?
- 8.9% annual increases in its average revenue per customer over the last two years show its platform is resonating with power users
- Incremental sales significantly boosted profitability as its annual earnings per share growth of 166% over the last three years outstripped its revenue performance
- Free cash flow margin jumped by 31.3 percentage points over the last few years, giving the company more resources to pursue growth initiatives, repurchase shares, or pay dividends
At $13.93 per share, Upwork trades at 9.6x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.
Take advantage of the rebound by checking out 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 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 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 for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
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