A stock with low volatility can be reassuring, but it doesn’t always mean strong long-term performance. Investors who prioritize stability may miss out on higher-reward opportunities elsewhere.
Choosing the wrong investments can cause you to fall behind, which is why we started StockStory - to separate the winners from the losers. That said, here is one low-volatility stock that could offer consistent gains and two that may not keep up.
Two Stocks to Sell:
Strategic Education (STRA)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.52
Formed through the merger of Strayer Education and Capella Education in 2018, Strategic Education (NASDAQ: STRA) is a career-focused higher education provider.
Why Do We Steer Clear of STRA?
- Sluggish trends in its international students suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
- Earnings per share fell by 5.2% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
- Free cash flow margin is not anticipated to grow over the next year
Strategic Education’s stock price of $76.59 implies a valuation ratio of 12.2x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with STRA, check out our full research report (it’s free).
NBT Bancorp (NBTB)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.79
Tracing its roots back to 1856 when it first opened its doors in Norwich, New York, NBT Bancorp (NASDAQ: NBTB) is a community-oriented financial institution providing banking, wealth management, and insurance services to individuals and businesses across the northeastern United States.
Why Is NBTB Not Exciting?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 8.5% annual growth was below the typical banking company
- Net interest income trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 9.7% annual growth was below the typical banking firm
- Incremental sales over the last five years were less profitable as its 4.3% annual earnings per share growth lagged its revenue gains
At $44.99 per share, NBT Bancorp trades at 1.2x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than NBTB.
One Stock to Buy:
Tradeweb Markets (TW)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.34
Founded in 1996 as one of the pioneers in electronic bond trading, Tradeweb Markets (NASDAQ: TW) builds and operates electronic marketplaces that connect financial institutions for trading across rates, credit, equities, and money markets.
Why Are We Backing TW?
- Annual revenue growth of 23.8% over the past two years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
- Earnings per share grew by 24.2% annually over the last two years and trumped its peers
Tradeweb Markets is trading at $116.95 per share, or 28.8x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
If your portfolio success hinges on just 4 stocks, your wealth is built on fragile ground. You have a small window to secure high-quality assets before the market widens and these prices disappear.
Don’t wait for the next volatility shock. Check out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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.
