Many investors pay attention to mid-cap stocks because they have established business models and expansive market opportunities. However, their paths to becoming $100 billion corporations are ripe with competition, ranging from giants with vast resources to agile upstarts eager to disrupt the status quo.
This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are three mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Okta (OKTA)
Market Cap: $16.09 billion
Named after the meteorological measurement for cloud cover, Okta (NASDAQ: OKTA) provides cloud-based identity management solutions that help organizations securely connect their employees, partners, and customers to the right applications and services.
Why Is OKTA Not Exciting?
- Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 10.2% over the last year did not impress
- Estimated sales growth of 9.2% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
- Projected 3.8 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin next year reflects the company’s plans to increase its investments to defend its market position
Okta’s stock price of $90.54 implies a valuation ratio of 5.5x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering OKTA for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Elanco (ELAN)
Market Cap: $12.12 billion
Originally established as a division of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly before becoming independent in 2018, Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN) develops and sells medications, vaccines, and other health products for pets and farm animals across more than 90 countries.
Why Does ELAN Worry Us?
- Muted 2.5% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its healthcare peers
- Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn’t resonate with customers
- Negative returns on capital show management lost money while trying to expand the business
Elanco is trading at $24.51 per share, or 26x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ELAN.
Citizens Financial Group (CFG)
Market Cap: $26.89 billion
Tracing its roots back to 1828 as a community-focused institution, Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG) is a regional bank that provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals, small businesses, and large corporations across 14 states.
Why Do We Pass on CFG?
- Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
- 5% annual net interest income growth over the last five years was slower than its banking peers
- Flat earnings per share over the last two years lagged its peers
At $62.62 per share, Citizens Financial Group trades at 1.1x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with CFG, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Stocks We Like More
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 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. 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 Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
