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.
Finding the right balance between safety and returns isn’t easy, which is why StockStory is here to help. Keeping that in mind, here are two low-volatility stocks providing safe-and-steady growth and one that may not deliver the returns you need.
One Stock to Sell:
Ladder Capital (LADR)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.34
Founded during the 2008 financial crisis when traditional lenders retreated from commercial real estate, Ladder Capital (NYSE: LADR) is a real estate investment trust that originates commercial real estate loans, owns commercial properties, and invests in real estate securities.
Why Do We Steer Clear of LADR?
- Annual sales declines of 9.7% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 20.4% annually, worse than its revenue declines
- Tangible book value per share stagnated over the last two years, limiting its ability to leverage its balance sheet to make additional investments
At $10.38 per share, Ladder Capital trades at 0.9x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including LADR in your portfolio.
Two Stocks to Watch:
Altria (MO)
Rolling One-Year Beta: -0.05
Best known for its Marlboro brand of cigarettes, Altria (NYSE: MO) offers tobacco and nicotine products.
Why Are We Fans of MO?
- Products command premium prices and lead to a best-in-class gross margin of 71.1%
- Excellent operating margin of 52.1% highlights the efficiency of its business model
- Robust free cash flow margin of 43.1% gives it many options for capital deployment, and its improved cash conversion implies it’s becoming a less capital-intensive business
Altria is trading at $67.25 per share, or 12x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Baldwin Insurance Group (BWIN)
Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.31
Rebranded from BRP Group in May 2024, Baldwin Insurance Group (NASDAQ: BWIN) is an independent insurance distribution company that provides tailored insurance, risk management, and employee benefits solutions to businesses and individuals.
Why Is BWIN a Good Business?
- Core business is healthy and doesn’t need acquisitions to boost sales as its organic revenue growth averaged 13.6% over the past two years
- Adjusted operating margin improvement of 7.1 percentage points over the last five years demonstrates its ability to scale efficiently
- Earnings growth has massively outpaced its peers over the last two years as its EPS has compounded at 22.5% annually
Baldwin Insurance Group’s stock price of $16.17 implies a valuation ratio of 8.6x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
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 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.
