Growth is a hallmark of all great companies, but the laws of gravity eventually take hold. Those who rode the COVID boom and ensuing tech selloff in 2022 will surely remember that the market’s punishment can be swift and severe when trajectories fall.
Luckily for you, our job at StockStory is to help you avoid short-term fads by pointing you toward high-quality businesses that can generate sustainable long-term growth. On that note, here are two growth stocks where the best is yet to come and one that could be down big.
One Growth Stock to Sell:
Western Alliance Bancorporation (WAL)
One-Year Revenue Growth: +18.2%
Operating through five distinct regional banking divisions across the western United States, Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) provides commercial banking, treasury management, mortgage services, and specialized financial solutions through its banking divisions and subsidiaries.
Why Are We Wary of WAL?
- 10.6 basis point (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) decline in its net interest margin over the last two years reflects the firm’s willingness to accept lower profitability to defend its market position
- Efficiency ratio is expected to worsen by 8 percentage points over the next year
- Incremental sales over the last five years were less profitable as its 2% annual earnings per share growth lagged its revenue gains
At $76 per share, Western Alliance Bancorporation trades at 1x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WAL in your portfolio.
Two Growth Stocks to Watch:
HubSpot (HUBS)
One-Year Revenue Growth: +21.1%
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 Could HUBS Be a Winner?
- Market share has increased as its 20% annual revenue growth over the last two years was exceptional
- ARR trends over the last year show it’s maintaining a steady flow of long-term contracts that contribute positively to its revenue predictability
- Software is difficult to replicate at scale and leads to a stellar gross margin of 83.2%
HubSpot’s stock price of $220.76 implies a valuation ratio of 2.8x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.
Robinhood (HOOD)
One-Year Revenue Growth: +38.3%
With a mission to democratize finance, Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) is an online consumer finance platform known for its commission-free stock and crypto trading.
Why Should You Buy HOOD?
- Strong engagement trends coupled with 91.2% annual growth in its average revenue per user demonstrate its platform’s stickiness with die-hard customers
- Performance over the past three years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
- HOOD is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders
Robinhood is trading at $114.11 per share, or 30.6x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
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.
Find out which stocks our AI platform is flagging this week. See this week’s Strong Momentum stocks — FREE. Get Our Strong Momentum Stocks for Free HERE.
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+271% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.