Growth is oxygen. But when it evaporates, the consequences can be extreme - ask anyone who bought Cisco in the Dot-Com Bubble (Nvidia?) or newer investors who lived through the 2020 to 2022 COVID cycle.

Luckily for you, our job at StockStory is to help you avoid short-term fads by pointing you toward high-quality businesses that can generate sustainable long-term growth. On that note, here is one growth stock expanding its competitive advantage and two climbing an uphill battle.

Two Growth Stocks to Sell:

Couchbase (BASE)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +16.3%

Formed in 2011 with the merger of Membase and CouchOne, Couchbase (NASDAQ:BASE) is a database-as-a-service platform that allows enterprises to store large volumes of semi-structured data.

Why Do We Think Twice About BASE?

1. Annual revenue growth of 19.2% over the last three years was below our standards for the software sector
2. Competitive market means the company must spend more on sales and marketing to stand out even if the return on investment is low
3. Historical operating losses point to an inefficient cost structure

Couchbase’s stock price of $17.59 implies a valuation ratio of 4x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering BASE for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Casella Waste Systems (CWST)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +21.6%

Starting with the founder picking up garbage with a pickup truck he purchased using savings from high school, Casella (NASDAQ:CWST) offers waste management services for businesses, residents, and the government.

Why Are We Cautious About CWST?

1. Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
2. Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 4 percentage points
3. Issuance of new shares partly offset its revenue growth over the last two years as its earnings per share were flat

Casella Waste Systems is trading at $116.75 per share, or 96.7x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CWST.

One Growth Stock to Buy:

Insulet (PODD)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +22.1%

Revolutionizing diabetes care with its tubeless "Pod" technology, Insulet (NASDAQ:PODD) develops and manufactures innovative insulin delivery systems for people with diabetes, primarily through its Omnipod product line.

Why Are We Backing PODD?

1. Average constant currency growth of 25.7% over the past two years demonstrates its ability to grow internationally despite currency fluctuations
2. Incremental sales over the last five years have been highly profitable as its earnings per share increased by 78% annually, topping its revenue gains
3. Free cash flow margin grew by 19.7 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more chips to play with

At $257.90 per share, Insulet trades at 65.9x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks That Overcame Trump’s 2018 Tariffs

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market 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 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.