While strong cash flow is a key indicator of stability, it doesn’t always translate to superior returns. Some cash-heavy businesses struggle with inefficient spending, slowing demand, or weak competitive positioning.
Not all companies are created equal, and StockStory is here to surface the ones with real upside. Keeping that in mind, here is one cash-producing company that leverages its financial strength to beat its competitors and two that may face some trouble.
Two Stocks to Sell:
Itron (ITRI)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 16.7%
Founded by a small group of engineers who wanted to build a more efficient way to read utility meters, Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI) offers energy and water management products for the utility industry, municipalities, and industrial customers.
Why Does ITRI Fall Short?
- Annual sales declines of 1% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Responsiveness to unforeseen market trends is restricted due to its substandard operating margin profitability
- Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities
At $87.76 per share, Itron trades at 13.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering ITRI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Leonardo DRS (DRS)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 9.6%
Developing submarine detection systems for the U.S. Navy, Leonardo DRS (NASDAQ: DRS) is a provider of defense systems, electronics, and military support services.
Why Is DRS Not Exciting?
- Annual revenue growth of 5.6% over the last five years was below our standards for the industrials sector
- Product roadmap and go-to-market strategy need to be reconsidered as its backlog has averaged 6.8% declines over the past two years
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
Leonardo DRS is trading at $36.75 per share, or 27.7x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with DRS, check out our full research report (it’s free).
One Stock to Buy:
Stride (LRN)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 14.1%
Formerly known as K12, Stride (NYSE: LRN) is an education technology company providing education solutions through digital platforms.
Why Are We Bullish on LRN?
- Annual revenue growth of 11.1% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Free cash flow margin increased by 5.8 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more capital to invest or return to shareholders
- Rising returns on capital show management is finding more attractive investment opportunities
Stride’s stock price of $78.31 implies a valuation ratio of 9x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively.
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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-micro-cap company Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
