Each stock in this article is trading near its 52-week high. These elevated prices usually indicate some degree of investor confidence, business improvements, or favorable market conditions.

While momentum can be a leading indicator, it has burned many investors as it doesn’t always correlate with long-term success. All that said, here is one stock with lasting competitive advantages and two not so much.

One-Month Return: +2.2%

Operating under multiple brands, National Vision (NYSE:EYE) sells optical products such as eyeglasses and provides optical services such as eye exams.

Why Should You Sell EYE?

Products aren't resonating with the market as its revenue declined by 1.6% annually over the last three years

Store closures demonstrate a defensive approach to eliminating underperforming locations

Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam

National Vision is trading at $27.78 per share, or 31.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with EYE, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One-Month Return: +16%

Started with the invention of the steam drill, Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) provides mission-critical air, gas, liquid, and solid flow creation solutions.

Why Do We Think Twice About IR?

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

Estimated sales growth of 4% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend

Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

At $98.75 per share, Ingersoll Rand trades at 27.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than IR.

One-Month Return: -8.8%

As the nation's largest independent broker-dealer with no proprietary products of its own, LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) provides technology, compliance, and business support services to independent financial advisors and institutions who manage investments for retail clients.

Why Are We Bullish on LPLA?

Annual revenue growth of 30% over the past two years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle

Additional sales over the last five years increased its profitability as the 25.5% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue

Industry-leading 37.9% return on equity demonstrates management’s skill in finding high-return investments

LPL Financial’s stock price of $334.70 implies a valuation ratio of 14x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.