Large-cap stocks usually command their industries because they have the scale to drive market trends. The flip side though is that their sheer size can limit growth as expanding further becomes an increasingly challenging task.
This dynamic can trouble even the most skilled investors, but luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you navigate these trade-offs and uncover exceptional companies that break the mold. Keeping that in mind, here are two large-cap stocks that still have big upside potential and one whose existing offerings may be tapped out.
One Large-Cap Stock to Sell:
General Dynamics (GD)
Market Cap: $103.3 billion
Creator of the famous M1 Abrahms tank, General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) develops aerospace, marine systems, combat systems, and information technology products.
Why Does GD Fall Short?
- Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 7.3% for the last five years
- Estimated sales growth of 4% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last five years as they only grew by 7.4% annually
At $383.70 per share, General Dynamics trades at 21.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than GD.
Two Large-Cap Stocks to Watch:
Teledyne (TDY)
Market Cap: $30.09 billion
Playing a role in mapping the ocean floor as we know it today, Teledyne (NYSE: TDY) offers digital imaging and instrumentation products for various industries.
Why Are We Positive on TDY?
- Market share has increased this cycle as its 12.8% annual revenue growth over the last five years was exceptional
- Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong long-term operating margin of 17.9%, and it turbocharged its profits by achieving some fixed cost leverage
- Free cash flow margin expanded by 11.1 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends
Teledyne’s stock price of $643.03 implies a valuation ratio of 24.9x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.
Gilead Sciences (GILD)
Market Cap: $163 billion
From its groundbreaking work in developing the first single-tablet regimens for HIV treatment, Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) develops and markets innovative medicines for life-threatening diseases including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer.
Why Do We Like GILD?
- Economies of scale give it some operating leverage when demand rises
- Adjusted operating margin improvement of 19.7 percentage points over the last two years demonstrates its ability to scale efficiently
- Strong free cash flow margin of 33% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently
Gilead Sciences is trading at $131.08 per share, or 5.5x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even 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.
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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 Kadant (+214% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
