Mid-cap stocks have the best odds of scaling into $100 billion corporations thanks to their tested business models and large addressable markets. But the many opportunities in front of them attract significant competition, spanning from industry behemoths with seemingly infinite resources to small, nimble players with chips on their shoulders.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. That said, here are three mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Ralph Lauren (RL)
Market Cap: $22.65 billion
Originally founded as a necktie company, Ralph Lauren (NYSE: RL) is an iconic American fashion brand known for its classic and sophisticated style.
Why Do We Steer Clear of RL?
- Constant currency revenue growth has disappointed over the past two years and shows demand was soft
- Responsiveness to unforeseen market trends is restricted due to its substandard operating margin profitability
- Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 11.9% for the last two years
At $374.47 per share, Ralph Lauren trades at 20.9x forward P/E. If you’re considering RL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
US Foods (USFD)
Market Cap: $21.29 billion
With a fleet of over 6,500 trucks delivering everything from fresh produce to frozen entrées, US Foods (NYSE: USFD) is a major foodservice distributor that supplies food products and services to approximately 250,000 restaurants, healthcare facilities, hotels, and educational institutions across the United States.
Why Do We Pass on USFD?
- Products are seeing elevated demand as its unit sales averaged 2.8% growth over the past two years
- Subpar operating margin of 3% constrains its ability to invest in process improvements or effectively respond to new competitive threats
- Poor free cash flow margin of 2.3% for the last two years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
US Foods is trading at $96.55 per share, or 20.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with USFD, check out our full research report (it’s free).
PulteGroup (PHM)
Market Cap: $27.07 billion
Having delivered over 850,000 homes since its founding in 1950, PulteGroup (NYSE: PHM) is one of America's largest homebuilders, constructing single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums for first-time, move-up, and active adult buyers across 46 markets in 25 states.
Why Are We Wary of PHM?
- Backlog has dropped by 18.9% on average over the past two years, suggesting it’s losing orders as competition picks up
- Earnings per share have contracted by 1.4% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
- Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up
PulteGroup’s stock price of $140.31 implies a valuation ratio of 13.7x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including PHM in your portfolio.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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 5 Strong Momentum 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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
