Which Beaten Down Stocks Are Worth a Closer Look?

The Compound (Ritholtz Wealth)
The Compound (Ritholtz Wealth)Apr 1, 2026

Why It Matters

Identifying beaten‑down, high‑quality stocks can turn market volatility into long‑term upside, while diversification mitigates concentration risk in over‑weighted mega‑caps.

Key Takeaways

  • One-third of US stocks down 10% despite market up 15%
  • MAG7 stocks fell ~14% YTD, dragging S&P lower than equal‑weight index
  • Hard‑asset sectors offset tech and financial losses, boosting overall market
  • Software, private‑equity, fintech names suffered 40‑80% declines this year
  • Meta and Microsoft viewed as highest‑probability long‑term buys

Summary

The episode examines why the U.S. equity market can post a 15% gain while a sizable slice of individual stocks languish in double‑digit losses. Host Duncan and guests dissect the recent sell‑off in the so‑called MAG7 mega‑caps—Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla—showing they are down roughly 14% year‑to‑date, pulling the cap‑weighted S&P 500 lower even as the equal‑weighted index remains flat.

Data points reveal that about one‑third of Russell‑3000 constituents have fallen at least 10%, with 20% down 20% or more, and even household names like Adobe, Salesforce, KKR and Robinhood suffering 50‑80% drops. By contrast, energy, materials, utilities and consumer staples have posted strong gains, offsetting the tech and financial sector weakness and keeping the broader market in positive territory.

The hosts highlight specific beaten‑down names—software giants (Adobe, Salesforce), private‑equity firms (KKR, Apollo), credit‑card issuers (Capital One, Visa) and fintech players (Robinhood, Coinbase, Block)—and suggest that only a few, notably Meta and Microsoft, offer a high‑probability long‑term play. They argue that buying these quality stocks at deep discounts and holding for years could yield outsized returns, despite ongoing regulatory and macro‑economic headwinds.

For investors, the discussion underscores the importance of looking beyond headline indices to identify undervalued opportunities. Sector rotation and the resilience of hard‑asset stocks provide a buffer, but the concentration risk in mega‑caps means diversification and patience are key to capitalizing on the market’s hidden value pockets.

Original Description

On episode 216 of Ask The Compound, Ben Carlson, Duncan Hill discuss opportunities in beaten-down stocks, what happens when Mag 7 stocks get slammed, the issues with a stock market that’s always open, and more. Submit your Ask The Compound questions to ⁠⁠⁠askthecompoundshow@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠!
This episode is sponsored by Public. Find out more at https://public.com/ATC
►00:00 - Intro
►-2:27 - Mag 7 drawdown
►06:50 - Bottom fishing in beaten down stocks
►14:45 - 24/7 trading
►19:05 - Why valuations are rising
►27:12 - How to produce financial content
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Public Disclosure: Paid endorsement. Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk. Not investment advice. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investment values may rise or fall. See terms of match program at https://public.com/disclosures/matchprogram. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.
Investing involves the risk of loss. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be or regarded as personalized investment advice or relied upon for investment decisions. Ben Carlson, Barry Ritholtz and Duncan Hill are employees of Ritholtz Wealth Management and may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this video. All opinions expressed by them are solely their own opinion and do not reflect the opinion of Ritholtz Wealth Management. See our disclosures here:
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