
"You get what you pay for" often applies to expensive stocks with best-in-class business models and execution. While their quality can sometimes justify the premium, they typically experience elevated volatility during market downturns when expectations change.
Determining whether a company’s quality justifies its price causes headaches for nearly all investors, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the real opportunities from the speculative ones. That said, here are three high-flying stocks where the price is not right and some other investments you should look into instead.
Entegris (ENTG)
Forward P/E Ratio: 38.9x
With fabs representing the company’s largest customer type, Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG) supplies products that purify, protect, and generally ensure the integrity of raw materials needed for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Why Do We Think Twice About ENTG?
- Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 4.8% annually over the last two years
- Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 7.1%
- Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam
Entegris is trading at $134.49 per share, or 38.9x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ENTG in your portfolio.
Saia (SAIA)
Forward P/E Ratio: 37x
Pivoting its business model after realizing there was more success in delivering produce than selling it, Saia (NASDAQ: SAIA) is a provider of freight transportation solutions.
Why Are We Hesitant About SAIA?
- Weak tons shipped over the past two years show it’s struggled to increase its sales volumes and had to rely on price increases
- Investment activity picked up over the last five years, pressuring its weak free cash flow margin of -0.4%
- Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging
At $407.00 per share, Saia trades at 37x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with SAIA, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Bel Fuse (BELFA)
Forward P/E Ratio: 29.2x
Founded by 26-year-old Elliot Bernstein during the electronics boom after WW2, Bel Fuse (NASDAQ: BELF.A) provides electronic systems and devices to the telecommunications, networking, transportation, and industrial sectors.
Why Are We Cautious About BELFA?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 2.7% annual growth was below the typical industrials company
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last one years as they only grew by 7.9% annually
Bel Fuse’s stock price of $215.91 implies a valuation ratio of 29.2x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BELFA.
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 Growth Stocks for this month. 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.