3 Cheap Stocks That Shouldn't Be This Low
All stocks in the market go through their own ebb and flow cycles; there are no exceptions. No investor can escape this behavior, but they can look for opportunities at either end of that pendulum, where most other participants may not be willing to step in, as emotions (like the pendulum swings) are probably at extremes.
Consequently, this is also where the best investments are found.
Today, as the S&P 500 approaches another all-time high record, a few stocks have been left behind, possibly due to overly bearish expectations or simply a lack of popularity and hype. Still, the fact is that these are the ones investors should have at the top of their watchlists for when the pendulum inevitably begins swinging in the other direction.
To fill this new upside watchlist, investors can consider names like American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ: AAL) for the transportation sector, First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) for a mix of energy, and then CarGurus Inc. (NASDAQ: CARG) for exposure into some of the latest shifts in the consumer discretionary sector, especially now that tariffs are throwing the usual balance off.
A Fundamental Push for American Airlines Stock
Now that the dollar index is starting to rebound, few investors will make the connection as to how this can affect a stock like American Airlines. Fundamentally, the United States consumer sees more purchasing power out of each dollar. In that case, discretionary spending (like travel) will also likely see a boost.
This is already taking place, whether Wall Street wants to call it out or not, as American Airlines reported a net earnings per share (EPS) figure of 95 cents in its latest quarterly financial release, a gap of 20% above the 79 cents expected from the rest of the market.
Investors can take away from this that expectations had become so low due to the stock’s lackluster price action—it is now trading at only 72% of its 52-week high—and potentially overdone forecasts for weakness across the industry.
However, the recent strengthening in earnings power indicates that the small dollar index rally over the past quarter was enough to send Wall Street into shock, a trend that is likely to continue as short sellers begin to capitulate, marked by a 5.7% decrease in their net positions over the past month.
One Ratio Is Enough for First Solar Stock
Another earnings beat came from First Solar, as the company reported $3.18 in EPS compared to the $2.18 expected from the rest of the market. Low oil prices keep renewable energy on the back burner, and since traditional fuel is more affordable today, some investors and analysts have also forgotten about First Solar.
However, recent trade tariffs against China have created a power vacuum in the solar space, considering that China exports most of the world’s polysilicon (necessary to make solar panels), making domestic solar companies key players in this supply shift.
Which might also be why Wall Street now forecasts $5.69 in EPS to be reported by the fourth quarter of 2025, a jump that is not priced in yet.
According to the price-to-earnings-growth (PEG) ratio, First Solar stock has not yet priced in the forecasted EPS growth that these analysts are calling for.
Any ratio below 1.0x indicates upside potential, as First Solar’s 0.2x PEG suggests higher prices are likely. That explains why Guggenheim analyst Joseph Osha decided to stand out from consensus through his Buy rating, valuing First Solar at $287 per share (or 42% above today’s prices).
Compared to the Moderate Buy and $225 valuation consensus, this analyst is now looking at the realistic setup.
CarGurus Is The Premium Name
Since tariffs have scared consumers into buying new cars at a markup, owned vehicle dealers like CarGurus are stepping up to solve that problem. Therefore, markets are willing to place a premium valuation on the stock compared to other peers in the auto sector.
With a price-to-book (P/B) ratio of 7.8x today, CarGurus stands above the 2.9x average in the auto sector. This means the market is willing to overpay for the company’s balance sheet items (likely unsold vehicles), knowing what the future of the industry holds and how CarGurus is positioned in that scenario.
Looking at market sentiment besides valuations, investors can note that 11.8% of CarGurus’ short interest has collapsed over the past month, meaning not even bears have a reason to stay in their positions now that the risk-to-reward ratio is clearly set up in favor of buyers here.
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