3 Mid-Cap Stocks That Blend Stability and Explosive Growth

Mid-cap stocks can sometimes offer unique investment opportunities by combining growth potential with relative stability.

Unlike small caps, which can be risky yet offer significant growth potential, and large caps, which can be stable but provide slower growth prospects, mid-caps strike a balance between both.

This article delves into three mid-cap companies – all of which are positioned for hefty potential gains.

1. Helmerich and Payne

After posting stronger-than-anticipated Q1 results in January, Helmerich and Payne (NYSE:) experienced increases in price targets and positive revisions of estimates by analysts.

Piper Sandler raised its price target for Helmerich & Payne to $44.00 from $41.00, reiterating its Neutral rating.

Morgan Stanley increased its price target to $46.00 from $44.00, keeping an Underweight rating. Barclays adjusted its price target to $42.00 from $40.00, maintaining an equal-weight rating.

The trend in analyst EPS forecasts for Helmerich & Payne for the forthcoming quarter is showcased by InvestingPro’s EPS Forecast Trend, indicating an increase from $0.73 in January (before earnings announcement) to $0.87 at present.

Source: Investing.com

The ProTips summary on InvestingPro offers a concise overview of the company, highlighting key strengths such as aggressive share buyback activities by management, upward revisions of earnings forecasts by 8 analysts for the next period, and a consistent record of dividend payments for 54 years in a row.

Source: Investing.com

Furthermore, InvestingPro’s Fair Value analysis suggests a potential 33.3% increase in the stock price, whereas Wall Street analysts project an average growth of approximately 17%.

Source: Investing.com

2. Darling Ingredients

Last week, Darling Ingredients (NYSE:) EPS and revenue figures for Q4 that fell short of expectations.

Additionally, the company withdrew its EBITDA guidance for 2024, stating it would provide an update along with the Q1/24 results as visibility improves—a decision that initially negatively impacted the stock. However, the shares have since rebounded, erasing the initial losses and even posting slight gains.

In response to the announcement, several Wall Street firms revised their price targets downward for Darling Ingredients. Stifel reduced its price target to $95.00 from $120.00 but kept a Buy rating. UBS cut its price target to $72.00 from $75.00, also maintaining a Buy rating. BMO Capital decreased its target to $57.00 from $60.00, maintaining an Outperform rating, and noting:

We lower estimates, reduce our target to $57, and expect the shares to be limited in the near term. However, we reiterate Outperform as we see attractive risk/ reward with 2024 EBITDA likely north of $1.5 billion and a stronger earnings outlook beginning in 2025.

The company shares fell 38% since July 2023 highs following three consecutive earnings misses.

Source: Investing.com

Current Fair Value assessments indicate the stock is undervalued. Investing models predict a 40.4% potential upside in the stock price, while Wall Street analysts estimate about a 49% increase.

Source: Investing.com

InvestingPro also gives Darling Ingredients a “Good” rating in financial health, comparing over 100 factors against peers in the Consumer Staples sector and within Developed economic markets.

Source: Investing.com

3. Guess?

Guess? (NYSE:) is scheduled to announce its Q4 earnings on March 20. During its last quarterly earnings announcement in November 2023, Guess? projected its EPS for Q4 to be between $1.53 and $1.60. The current consensus estimate is at $1.54.

Source: Investing.com

InvestingPro rates the company’s financial health as “Great” when compared to over 100 factors against companies in the Consumer Discretionary sector and operating in Developed economic markets.

Source: Investing.com

The ProTips summary on InvestingPro offers a brief overview of the company, highlighting key strengths including trading at a low price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio in comparison to near-term earnings growth, consistently paying dividends for 17 years, increasing dividends for the past three consecutive years, and achieving a strong return over the last three months.

Source: Investing.com

Furthermore, InvestingPro’s Fair Value models indicate that Guess?’s stock is currently undervalued. Investment models forecast a 13.4% potential increase in the stock price, while Wall Street analysts expect an approximate 5.4% rise.

***

Be sure to check out InvestingPro to stay in sync with the market trend and what it means for your trading. As with any investment, it’s crucial to research extensively before making any decisions.

InvestingPro empowers investors to make informed decisions by providing a comprehensive analysis of undervalued stocks with the potential for significant upside in the market.

Subscribe here for under $9/month and never miss a bull market again!

*Readers of this article get an extra 10% off our annual and 2-year Pro plans with codes OAPRO1 and OAPRO2.

Subscribe here and never miss a bull market again!

Disclaimer: This article is written for informational purposes only; it does not constitute a solicitation, offer, advice, or recommendation to invest as such it is not intended to incentivize the purchase of assets in any way. I would like to remind you that any type of asset, is evaluated from multiple points of view and is highly risky and therefore, any investment decision and the associated risk remains with the investor.