Small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 (^RUT) can be a goldmine for investors looking beyond the usual large-cap names. But with less stability and fewer resources than their bigger counterparts, these companies face steeper challenges in scaling their businesses.
Navigating this part of the market can be tricky, which is why we built StockStory to help you separate the winners from the laggards. That said, here are three Russell 2000 stocks that don’t make the cut and some better choices instead.
Taylor Morrison Home (TMHC)
Market Cap: $6.89 billion
Named “America’s Most Trusted Home Builder” in 2019, Taylor Morrison Home (NYSE: TMHC) builds single family homes and communities across the United States.
Why Are We Out on TMHC?
- Demand cratered as it couldn’t win new orders over the past two years, leading to an average 12.7% decline in its backlog
- Forecasted revenue decline of 8.2% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff
- Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
Taylor Morrison Home is trading at $69.69 per share, or 9.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with TMHC, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Surgery Partners (SGRY)
Market Cap: $2.73 billion
With more than 180 locations across 33 states serving as alternatives to traditional hospital settings, Surgery Partners (NASDAQ: SGRY) operates a national network of outpatient surgical facilities including ambulatory surgery centers and short-stay surgical hospitals.
Why Do We Think Twice About SGRY?
- Weak unit sales over the past two years show it’s struggled to increase its sales volumes and had to rely on price increases
- Low free cash flow margin of 4.3% for the last five years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders
- High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 6× increases the risk of forced asset sales or dilutive financing if operational performance weakens
Surgery Partners’s stock price of $21.46 implies a valuation ratio of 22.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than SGRY.
United Community Banks (UCB)
Market Cap: $3.95 billion
Starting as a small community bank in 1950 and expanding through strategic acquisitions across the Southeast, United Community Banks (NYSE: UCB) is a regional bank holding company that provides financial services including loans, deposits, wealth management, and merchant services across the southeastern United States.
Why Are We Wary of UCB?
- Annual revenue growth of 1.2% over the last two years was below our standards for the banking sector
- Net interest margin of 3.3% reflects its high servicing and capital costs
- Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last four years, causing its efficiency ratio to worsen by 3.2 percentage points
At $32.54 per share, United Community Banks trades at 1.1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why UCB doesn’t pass our bar.
Stocks We Like More
Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.
Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.
