Susan Dziubinski: I’m Susan Dziubinski with Morningstar. At Morningstar, we think buying the stocks of high-quality companies at a significant margin of safety is a recipe for successful investing. So it may seem that high-quality stocks that trade radically below what they’re worth are the best stocks to buy. But usually, ultracheap stocks are ultra-cheap for a reason: Sometimes they’re from companies that are restructuring or facing stronger-and-longer-than-expected headwinds. And as a result, these companies and their stocks may take time to turn around—and they may even take a few steps back before they do.
Today, we’re taking a look at two such stocks. Both stocks are ultra-cheap today according to Morningstar, and we think these companies have carved out wide economic moats. These stocks could be attractive ideas for bold investors with patience and long time horizons.
2 Ultra-Cheap Stocks for Bold Investors
The first ultra-cheap stock for bold investors is Estee Lauder EL. We think this premium beauty pure play has carved out a wide moat with its portfolio of brands that includes Clinique, Origins, M.A.C., Bobbi Brown, and Aveda, among others. We see Estee as poised to benefit from long-term premiumization trends, as beauty consumers in developed and emerging markets upgrade for perceived better-quality ingredients, efficacy, and services. However, we expect continued poor sales in China, higher investments, and a restructuring to delay top-line and operating margin recovery—and these factors are casting a cloud over the stock today. Shares are trading at a very large discount to our fair value estimate, making the stock a bold choice: We think Estee Lauder stock is worth $120.
Review Morningstar’s full report on Estee Lauder.
The second ultra-cheap stock for bold investors is Polaris PII. Polaris is a recreational and utility vehicle powerhouse that produces all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, boats, and electric vehicles, and we think the company has carved out a wide economic moat. However, sales declines have persisted as both dealers and consumers remain cautious on spending: In fact, Polaris expects off-road and on-road sales to decline again in 2025, while very depressed marine sales could rise at a low-single-digit rate. The turnaround at Polaris will take time and will rely on lower interest rates to make consumer loans more attractive. We think shares are appealing for investors with three- to five-year time horizons, though. We assign the stock a $75 fair value estimate.
Review Morningstar’s full report on Polaris.
For more stock ideas, be sure to visit Morningstar.com.
Morningstar senior analyst Jaime Katz and analyst Dan Su provided the research behind this segment.
Watch 3 Stocks Top Investors Like—but Should You Buy Them Now? for more from Susan Dziubinski.
The author or authors do not own shares in any securities mentioned in this article. Find out about Morningstar's editorial policies.