June 9, 2025
Smart investors know that knowing when to sell is just as important as knowing what to buy.
While most financial media focuses on stocks to buy, we look for companies facing serious problems that might make them worth selling. These aren’t just stocks that are temporarily underperforming – they’re businesses facing real challenges with their operations, finances, or that are simply overvalued.
We don’t make recommendations based on short-term price movements or news headlines. Each company on this list has been carefully analyzed using multiple factors that often predict significant price drops.
Good portfolio management means both buying and selling at the right time. Often, the best decision is to move your money away from troubled positions before problems show up in the stock price.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR)
Palantir Technologies trades at valuations so extreme that even perfect execution may not justify current price levels, making it particularly vulnerable to any disappointment in its growth trajectory. The data analytics company’s 6.56% Thursday decline followed CEO Alex Karp’s clarification that Palantir is “not surveilling Americans,” which contradicted investor expectations fueled by a New York Times report suggesting the company had gained extraordinary federal government access. This reaction demonstrates how speculative the stock has become, with investors betting on surveillance capabilities rather than fundamental business prospects.
The company’s valuation metrics are simply staggering and appear detached from financial reality. With a price-to-earnings ratio of 560 and a market value of $301 billion, Palantir trades at multiples that assume decades of flawless execution and unlimited growth potential. While the company maintains an impressive 80.01% profit margin and continues winning government contracts, these positives cannot justify valuations that price in perfection across all future quarters. The stock’s rise from a 52-week low of $21.23 to current levels around $127.78 represents a gain of over 500% – a move that appears driven more by speculation than fundamental improvements.
What makes Palantir particularly dangerous for investors is that any disappointment – whether in contract wins, revenue growth, or profit margins – could trigger massive selling given the extreme valuation. The recent trading volume of 2.8 million shares versus the massive 104.2 million average suggests many institutional investors may already be reducing exposure. While Palantir’s government relationships provide some stability, the company’s commercial segment growth remains uncertain, and any economic slowdown could pressure both segments simultaneously. For investors holding positions, the mathematical reality is sobering: at current valuations, Palantir would need to execute flawlessly for years to grow into its valuation, while any stumble could result in dramatic price corrections. The combination of extreme valuations and speculative positioning makes this an opportune time to consider taking profits before market sentiment potentially shifts.
Newsmax (NMAX)
Newsmax shows the dangers of investing in speculative media companies whose valuations remain disconnected from operational realities despite massive declines from peak levels. The conservative media company’s shares have plummeted approximately 90% from their post-IPO peak of $265, yet the current $16.77 price and $2 billion market value still appear unjustifiable given fundamental business metrics. Trading at over 12 times revenue despite generating just $171 million in annual sales, Newsmax’s valuation premium vastly exceeds that of established media companies, including Fox News’ parent company, which trades at a fraction of Newsmax’s price-to-sales multiple.
The operational challenges facing Newsmax are substantial and appear to be worsening. Despite 50% year-over-year Q1 viewership growth, the company posted losses exceeding $17 million in the first quarter of 2025, with zero reported profit margin indicating fundamental profitability challenges. While viewership gains sound impressive, they must be contextualized against the fact that Fox News remains “miles ahead” with all 15 of cable’s most-watched shows, and Fox’s 15th-ranked program attracts three times more viewers than Newsmax’s top-rated show. This competitive disadvantage suggests limited ability to command premium advertising rates or attract major sponsors.
Perhaps most concerning is Newsmax’s exposure to potentially catastrophic legal liabilities stemming from litigation over false statements regarding the 2020 election. These lawsuits carry penalties that could potentially bankrupt the company, creating an existential threat that isn’t reflected in current valuations. The stock’s recent decline amid broader “Trump trade” weakness following tensions between President Trump and Elon Musk demonstrates the company’s vulnerability to political winds beyond its control. With trading volume below average levels, operational losses mounting, competitive disadvantages apparent, and legal risks looming, Newsmax represents a classic example of a speculative investment where the potential downside far outweighs any near-term upside prospects. Investors should consider this an opportunity to exit positions before these multiple risks potentially converge.
Lululemon Athletica (LULU)
Lululemon Athletica’s devastating 19.71% Friday collapse demonstrates how quickly investors can abandon premium-valued growth stocks when guidance disappoints, even after earnings beats. While the athletic apparel company technically beat Q1 expectations with $2.60 per share versus $2.59 expected and hit revenue targets at $2.37 billion, the market’s focus immediately shifted to concerning forward guidance that revealed significant challenges ahead. Management’s Q2 earnings forecast of $2.85-$2.90 per share fell catastrophically short of Wall Street’s $3.32 expectation, while full-year sales growth guidance of just 5-7% signals a dramatic deceleration from historical performance.
The fundamental deterioration in Lululemon’s business is becoming impossible to ignore. Same-store sales growth of only 1% in Q1 reveals weakening consumer demand, while operating margins compressed by 110 basis points to 18.5% despite growing sales. This margin pressure occurred even as the company maintained a healthy 59.30% profit margin, suggesting that operational efficiency challenges may be structural rather than temporary. The guidance weakness is particularly concerning given management’s attribution to President Trump’s tariffs policy, which creates an ongoing headwind rather than a one-time issue.
Now trading at $265.59, down from a 52-week high of $423.32, Lululemon has already surrendered significant value, yet the current $32 billion market value still appears excessive for a company projecting mid-single-digit growth. At approximately 18 times forward earnings, the valuation multiple remains too high for the revised growth trajectory, especially in an environment where tariff pressures may continue intensifying. With traditional trading volume patterns (below the 2.7 million average) suggesting many investors may not have fully processed these developments yet, LULU appears vulnerable to additional selling pressure as the implications of slowing growth and margin compression become more widely recognized. For investors still holding positions, the combination of valuation concerns and deteriorating fundamentals presents a compelling case for taking profits before further potential downside materializes.
Bottom Line
This week’s featured companies highlight a critical market dynamic: stocks trading at premium valuations face heightened vulnerability when growth narratives are challenged or questioned. Palantir’s extreme valuations despite strong margins, Newsmax’s ongoing losses despite viewership gains, and Lululemon’s guidance disappointment despite earnings beats all demonstrate how quickly investor sentiment can shift when expectations aren’t met. In each case, the combination of elevated valuations and fundamental concerns creates asymmetric risk profiles favoring downside rather than upside potential. For prudent investors, these situations serve as reminders that valuation discipline remains crucial, particularly when speculative enthusiasm has driven prices well beyond what business fundamentals can reasonably support.