While everyone’s off chasing AI moonshots and meme tickers, the real stories are happening in stocks nobody’s talking about.

We’re talking slow-burn comebacks, off-the-radar dividend plays, and value names with better EPS growth than the “hot” tech stocks.

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Investment Banking

BGC Group (NASDAQ: BGC) made headlines this week after its latest earnings came in slightly ahead of expectations... good enough for a small rally, but not exactly a mic-drop moment.

Shares have crept up to $9.78, keeping pace with the S&P 500, which sounds impressive until you realize the growth story’s still running on fumes.

Yes, revenue was up. Yes, margins were… fine. But Wall Street didn’t hear a strategy shift, a new catalyst, or anything that screams, “this story’s about to turn.”

It’s been years of “not bad” quarters with little to show for it. That’s why investors are treating this bounce with the same enthusiasm as a Tuesday morning Zoom call.

Valuation looks cheap on the surface, but without clear momentum, it might stay that way.

In a space where players are evolving fast and printing returns, BGC feels like it’s jogging behind the pack, waiting for a reason to be exciting again.

IT Services

EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM) grabbed headlines for all the wrong reasons this week, with shares sliding 7.2% to $153.10, leaving the stock nearly 43% below its February highs.

To make matters worse, Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $175 from $210 and assigned a “Cautious” label to the entire IT services sector, citing that AI budgets are stealing the spotlight, pricing pressure, and shrinking returns on capital.

Not exactly the pep talk investors were hoping for.

But EPAM isn’t just sulking in the corner. The company has a new CEO, Balazs Fejes, a 20-year veteran now steering the ship with a big promise: turn EPAM into an “AI-native” organization.

Early signs indicate some muscle behind the words, with full-year guidance up, Q3 revenue expected to grow nearly 18%, and the boardroom getting a makeover to support the strategy shift.

The problem? Wall Street wants proof, not just press releases.

With shares down a third this year, investors will be watching the next earnings report like hawks to see if AI ambition translates into actual numbers.

Until then, EPAM remains a show-me story with a lot riding on its shiny new leadership.

Financial Services

MarketAxess (NASDAQ: MKTX) hasn’t exactly been winning over Wall Street lately. The stock has slid 11.1% over the past six months to $188.98 while the S&P 500 cruised 15.5% higher.

Bargain hunters might be tempted, but here’s why we’re staying on the sidelines.

First, the growth engine looks more like a sputtering moped than a Ferrari. Revenue has grown at just 6.4% annually over the past five years, a pace that doesn’t cut it in a sector built on scale and speed.

Second, profitability isn’t keeping up. EPS has actually fallen 2.7% a year over the same stretch, meaning MarketAxess is expanding while earning less per share.

Not exactly the formula for long-term outperformance.

Sure, 23.6× forward earnings isn’t nosebleed territory, but with fundamentals this underwhelming, we think the market’s still pricing in a happy ending that might never show up.

Better options exist in the financial space, names with cleaner growth, rising profits, and fewer red flags. For now, MarketAxess just isn’t it.

Apple Hospitality REIT (NYSE: APLE) is turning heads this week as income-hungry investors eye its 7.7% dividend yield wrapped in a hotel-focused REIT trading at just 8.4× forward earnings.

With shares up to $12.68 and well above last year’s lows, the story isn’t breakneck growth; it’s steady cash flow in a sector finally finding a post-pandemic footing.

Earnings remain steady at $0.41 a quarter, and the balance sheet isn’t raising eyebrows.

For investors who like big dividends and low drama, this week’s bump suggests Apple Hospitality might be quietly scripting a comeback.

Piedmont Realty Trust (NYSE: PDM) is quietly fueling market chatter this week. Q3 leases topped 500,000 square feet, with 85% filling previously vacant space, basically turning “vacancy” into “cha-ching.”

They’re hitting all the hot spots, from Minneapolis to the Sunbelt, and even snagged full-floor leases in their spruced-up buildings.

With 400,000+ square feet still in the late-stage pipeline, PDM is cruising toward its 2025 goal of 2.2–2.4 million square feet leased.

Shares are up 11.5% over three months while the rest of the industry barely moved.

With rock-solid tenants, a fat pipeline, and valuation metrics that practically scream “value,” PDM is quietly plotting a comeback worth watching.

Photronics (NASDAQ: PLAB) is quietly flashing its value signal this week. While the market fusses over hype stocks, PLAB is doing its thing, trading at a P/E of just 11.02 and a P/B of 0.87, comfortably below the sector average.

Translation: it’s cheap, solid, and quietly efficient.

Earnings are holding steady, and with strong fundamentals, it’s basically waving a flag that says, “Look at me, I’m underappreciated.”

In a world chasing flashy growth, Photronics is quietly building its case while the crowd looks elsewhere.

For patient, value-minded investors, this might be a chance to pick up a solid semiconductor play at a discount.

That's our coverage for today; thanks for reading! Reply to this email with feedback or any value names you'd like us to dig into.

Best Regards,
—Noah Zelvis
Undervalued Edge