Volatility cuts both ways - while it creates opportunities, it also increases risk, making sharp declines just as likely as big gains. This unpredictability can shake out even the most experienced investors.
At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. Keeping that in mind, here are three volatile stocks to steer clear of and a few better alternatives.
Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.07
With its name deriving from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s nickname, Old Dominion (NASDAQ: ODFL) delivers less-than-truckload (LTL) and full-container load freight.
Why Are We Hesitant About ODFL?
- Declining unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to accelerate growth
- Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
- Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging
Old Dominion Freight Line is trading at $159.54 per share, or 32.4x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ODFL in your portfolio.
Integra LifeSciences (IART)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.51
Founded in 1989 as a pioneer in regenerative medicine technology, Integra LifeSciences (NASDAQ: IART) develops and manufactures medical technologies for neurosurgery, wound care, and surgical reconstruction, including regenerative tissue products and surgical instruments.
Why Should You Dump IART?
- Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
- Free cash flow margin dropped by 19.6 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- 6× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings
Integra LifeSciences’s stock price of $13.42 implies a valuation ratio of 5.9x forward P/E. If you’re considering IART for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Triumph Financial (TFIN)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.30
Originally focused on traditional banking before pivoting to serve the transportation sector, Triumph Financial (NASDAQ: TFIN) provides specialized financial services to the trucking industry, including payments processing, factoring, banking, and data intelligence solutions.
Why Do We Pass on TFIN?
- 5.4% annual net interest income growth over the last five years was slower than its banking peers
- Net interest margin shrank by 130.7 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) over the last two years, suggesting the profitability of its loan book is decreasing or the market is becoming more competitive
- Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 22.1% annually while its revenue grew
At $60.91 per share, Triumph Financial trades at 1.7x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than TFIN.
Stocks We Like More
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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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
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