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.
Cash flow is valuable, but it’s not everything - StockStory helps you identify the companies that truly put it to work. That said, here is one cash-producing company that reinvests wisely to drive long-term success and two that may face some trouble.
Two Stocks to Sell:
DocuSign (DOCU)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 30.2%
Founded by Seattle-based entrepreneur Tom Gonser, DocuSign (NASDAQ:DOCU) is the pioneer of e-signature and offers software as a service that allows people and organisations to sign legally binding documents electronically.
Why Does DOCU Worry Us?
- Annual revenue growth of 10.8% over the last three years was below our standards for the software sector
- Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 6.4% over the last year did not impress
- Estimated sales growth of 5.9% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
At $73.83 per share, DocuSign trades at 4.9x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DOCU.
Collegium Pharmaceutical (COLL)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 29.6%
Pioneering abuse-deterrent technology in a field plagued by addiction concerns, Collegium Pharmaceutical (NASDAQ:COLL) develops and markets specialty medications for treating moderate to severe pain, including abuse-deterrent opioid formulations.
Why Are We Hesitant About COLL?
- Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $664.3 million, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
- Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6.5 percentage points
- Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up
Collegium Pharmaceutical’s stock price of $30.07 implies a valuation ratio of 4.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering COLL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
One Stock to Buy:
Alphabet (GOOGL)
Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 18%
Started by Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a Menlo Park garage, Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is the parent company of the eponymous Google Search engine, Google Cloud Platform, and YouTube.
Why Will GOOGL Outperform?
- Alphabet’s dominant Google Search sits on the pantheon of the best businesses ever. This is reflected in its robust long-term revenue growth and elite operating margin.
- The company’s profit margins have become even higher over time, speaking to its scale advantages and operating efficiency not only in its core Search business but also in Google Cloud Platform and YouTube.
- Revenue growth and increasing operating margins are the key ingredients for strong EPS growth. Google has these, and when also factoring in its share repurchases, you can see why EPS has exploded over the long term.
Alphabet is trading at $188.40 per share, or 19.7x forward price-to-earnings. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.
The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 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 for free.
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