For investors, it’s always difficult to know exactly when to say “enough is enough,” as struggling stocks lose value. It’s always tempting to hold on to positions, in the hope that a miraculous turnaround will materialize. More often than not, that strategy leads to further losses. Thus, I’d suggest that these three struggling stocks below will continue to decline, meaning cutting losses can provide capital to be reinvested in other more promising options, improving a shareholder’s long-term returns.
Now, optimism is typically necessary to be an investor. One has to believe in a brighter future, to put capital to work in equities.
However, this view won’t serve investors well in relation to the stocks below. These companies represent businesses that are simply in too much trouble at the moment. These are loss-producing businesses without any sort of realistic narrative investors can hang on to. Thus, these are struggling stocks investors can hold at their own peril.
| GME | GameStop | $24.56 |
| RIDE | Lordstown Automotive | $4.19 |
| PTON | Peloton | $8.64 |
GameStop (GME)
GameStop (NYSE:GME) looks to be nearing the end of its improbable run. Even if this isn’t the turning point that signals the end, it’s likely a great time to exit.
The company became a legend in the world of meme stocks in early 2021 when former Chewy CEO Ryan Cohen joined its board of directors. He bought substantial quantities of GME stock on the notion that its descent was overdone. To him, GME shares held much more inherent value at that point.
His optimism, backed by his investment in those shares, led to speculators and traders piling into GME stock. It ran from a few dollars to more than $120 in the span of a few weeks in early 2021. That has kept the company relevant, even though its core retail business has continued to sputter.
Cohen is now CEO of GameStop, after being installed following the removal of its former CEO. That news sent shares tumbling more than they have at any time since GameStop became the most important meme stock in early-2021. I think this recent trend could continue, signaling the official beginning of the end for the king of meme stocks.
Lordstown Automotive (RIDE)
Lordstown Automotive (NASDAQ:RIDE) announced a reverse stock split on May 23 that might as well have been its death knell. The 1 for 15 reverse split means there are now 15-times fewer shares in existence. That should have made the remaining shares 15 times more valuable. At least that’s what companies affecting reverse stock splits hope to be the outcome when they enact such programs.
But the reality is that market efficiencies recognize such splits for the ruse that they are. RIDE shares did not multiply by a factor of 15 on May 23. Instead, they immediately fell by 50 cents apiece, and are trending lower still.
Lordstown Automotive reported $194,000 in revenue, but losses of more than $30 million in the most recent quarter. Its commercial vehicles aren’t a hit, and production isn’t going well. There’s very little in the way of optimism left related to RIDE stock. Now is a great time to exit any position, in my view.
Peloton (PTON)
Peloton (NASDAQ:PTON) has to logically be a stock that investors should get rid of. The pandemic is over. No one is forcibly quarantined inside their home anymore. Thus, Peloton’s opportunity came and it has passed.
Consumers were never going to continue to buy the company’s bikes and subscriptions at pandemic rates once everything reopened. That’s just the reality of its business model. The company made a fortune during the pandemic, but it’s absurd to think those same conditions exist today.
The numbers prove as much. Memberships, subscriptions, revenue, and many other metrics continue to fall. The hype has long since faded, as PTON shares have fallen from around $150 per share at the height of the pandemic to the $8 level.
Of course, macro conditions are partly responsible for this decline. But it’s Peloton’s business model I think is really to blame. It’s easy to find fitness enthusiasts who’ll spend thousands for a bike and subscription during a pandemic in which you can’t leave the house. It’s equally difficult to keep those same consumers interested when the world normalizes.
Yes, losses narrowed and the company is mitigating damage in some regards. But do you want to invest in a company that still lost $275 million this quarter? I don’t.
On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.