Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bullish calls are justified. That said, here are two stocks where Wall Street’s positive outlook is supported by strong fundamentals and one where its enthusiasm might be excessive.

One Stock to Sell:

LifeStance Health Group (LFST)

Consensus Price Target: $8.56 (23.7% implied return)

With over 6,600 licensed mental health professionals treating more than 880,000 patients annually, LifeStance Health (NASDAQ: LFST) provides outpatient mental health services through a network of clinicians offering psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, and therapy across 33 states.

Why Are We Wary of LFST?

1. Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $1.37 billion, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
2. Poor free cash flow margin of -0.5% for the last five years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
3. Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction

LifeStance Health Group’s stock price of $6.92 implies a valuation ratio of 29.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than LFST.

Two Stocks to Buy:

ESCO (ESE)

Consensus Price Target: $255 (27.7% implied return)

A developer of the communication systems used in the Batmobile of “The Dark Knight,” ESCO (NYSE: ESE) is a provider of engineered components for the aerospace, defense, and utility sectors.

Why Are We Backing ESE?

1. Average backlog growth of 29% over the past two years shows it has a steady sales pipeline that will drive future orders
2. Operating profits increased over the last five years as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
3. Performance over the past two years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 30.9% outpaced its revenue gains

ESCO is trading at $199.69 per share, or 25.9x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Hamilton Lane (HLNE)

Consensus Price Target: $164.29 (24.7% implied return)

With over $100 billion in assets under management and supervision, Hamilton Lane (NASDAQ: HLNE) is an investment management firm that specializes in private markets, offering advisory services and fund solutions to institutional and private wealth investors.

Why Will HLNE Beat the Market?

1. Annual revenue growth of 22.1% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
2. Additional sales over the last two years increased its profitability as the 28.4% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue
3. ROE punches in at 38%, illustrating management’s expertise in identifying profitable investments

At $131.75 per share, Hamilton Lane trades at 23.3x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.

The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today.