The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say nice things about companies so their firms can win business in other product lines like M&A advisory.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. That said, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s enthusiasm may be misplaced and some other investments worth exploring instead.

Allient (ALNT)

Consensus Price Target: $118 (25.3% implied return)

Founded in 1962, Allient (NASDAQ: ALNT) develops and manufactures precision and specialty-controlled motion components and systems.

Why Does ALNT Fall Short?

1. Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
2. Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 4.5% for the last five years
3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

Allient is trading at $94.19 per share, or 31.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering ALNT for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Ingredion (INGR)

Consensus Price Target: $121.50 (20.1% implied return)

Known for its ability to turn ordinary corn into thousands of different food ingredients, Ingredion (NYSE: INGR) transforms grains, fruits, vegetables and other plant-based materials into specialty starches, sweeteners and other ingredients for food, beverage and industrial markets.

Why Does INGR Give Us Pause?

1. Products have few die-hard fans as sales have declined by 4.2% annually over the last three years
2. Demand will likely be weak over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue
3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last year as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6.1 percentage points

Ingredion’s stock price of $101.13 implies a valuation ratio of 9.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with INGR, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Atmus Filtration Technologies (ATMU)

Consensus Price Target: $65.20 (43.5% implied return)

Spun out of Cummins in 2023 after 65 years as part of the engine maker, Atmus Filtration Technologies (NYSE: ATMU) manufactures filters for trucks, construction equipment, and agriculture machinery to reduce emissions and protect engines.

Why Is ATMU Not Exciting?

1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 6.1% annual growth was below the typical industrials company
2. High input costs result in an inferior gross margin of 26.7% that must be offset through higher volumes

At $45.43 per share, Atmus Filtration Technologies trades at 14.8x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ATMU doesn’t pass our bar.

Stocks We Like More

ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively.

Find out which 5 stocks it’s flagging this month — FREE. Get Our Top 5 Growth Stocks for Free HERE.

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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,552% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.