Mid-cap stocks often strike the right balance between having proven business models and market opportunities that can support $100 billion corporations. However, they face intense competition from scaled industry giants and can be disrupted by new innovative players vying for a slice of the pie.
These dynamics can rattle even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. That said, here is one mid-cap stock with huge upside potential and two best left ignored.
Two Mid-Cap Stocks to Sell:
XPO (XPO)
Market Cap: $16.89 billion
Owning a mobile game simulating freight operations for the Tour de France, XPO (NYSE: XPO) is a transportation company specializing in expedited shipping services.
Why Do We Pass on XPO?
- Sales tumbled by 1.4% annually over the last five years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
- Competitive supply chain dynamics and steep production costs are reflected in its low gross margin of 14.7%
- 4.3 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position
XPO’s stock price of $140.61 implies a valuation ratio of 36.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with XPO, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
West Pharmaceutical Services (WST)
Market Cap: $20.03 billion
Founded in 1923 and serving as a critical link in the pharmaceutical supply chain, West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST) manufactures specialized packaging, containment systems, and delivery devices for injectable drugs and healthcare products.
Why Does WST Worry Us?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 1.5% annual growth was below the typical healthcare company
- Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 5.5 percentage points
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
At $278.44 per share, West Pharmaceutical Services trades at 37.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why WST doesn’t pass our bar.
One Mid-Cap Stock to Watch:
Universal Health Services (UHS)
Market Cap: $13.02 billion
With a network spanning 39 states and three countries, Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) operates acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities across the United States, United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico.
Why Are We Fans of UHS?
- Revenue base of $16.99 billion gives it economies of scale and some negotiating power
- Share repurchases over the last five years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 15% to outpace its revenue gains
- Free cash flow margin increased by 6.9 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more capital to invest or return to shareholders
Universal Health Services is trading at $208.39 per share, or 9.6x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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 Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
