While strong cash flow is a key indicator of stability, it doesn’t always translate to superior returns. Some cash-heavy businesses struggle with inefficient spending, slowing demand, or weak competitive positioning.
Luckily for you, we built StockStory to help you separate the good from the bad. That said, here is one cash-producing company that leverages its financial strength to beat its competitors and two that may face some trouble.
Two stocks to sell:
United Parcel Service (UPS)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 6.1%
Trademarking its recognizable UPS Brown color, UPS (NYSE: UPS) offers package delivery, supply chain management, and freight forwarding services.
Why Do We Steer Clear of UPS?
- Sales stagnated over the last five years and signal the need for new growth strategies
- Sales over the last five years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 8.4% annually while its revenue was flat
- Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability
United Parcel Service’s stock price of $101.45 implies a valuation ratio of 12.8x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including UPS in your portfolio.
GE HealthCare (GEHC)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 7.4%
Spun off from industrial giant General Electric in 2023 after over a century as its healthcare division, GE HealthCare (NASDAQ: GEHC) provides medical imaging equipment, patient monitoring systems, diagnostic pharmaceuticals, and AI-enabled healthcare solutions to hospitals and clinics worldwide.
Why Do We Think Twice About GEHC?
- Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
- Projected sales growth of 4.4% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
- Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 1.7 percentage points
At $71.50 per share, GE HealthCare trades at 13.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than GEHC.
One stock to watch:
Clean Harbors (CLH)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 8.8%
Established in 1980, Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) provides environmental and industrial services like hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal and emergency spill cleanups.
Why Does CLH Catch Our Eye?
- Annual revenue growth of 13.5% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
- Share repurchases over the last five years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 21.6% to outpace its revenue gains
- Free cash flow margin expanded by 5.9 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends
Clean Harbors is trading at $320.91 per share, or 30.7x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.
Stocks we like even more
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Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+1,154% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
