As of mid-May 2025, the S&P 500 has turned positive year-to-date (YTD) for the first time in many weeks. Stocks across multiple sectors have broadly recovered from the jolt of tariff news and other volatility throughout April.
The return to an upward trajectory may suggest the possibility of future stability—although trade disputes are ongoing and the Trump administration has only paused, not canceled, many of its tariff policies. That's not to say, though, that every company has come out ahead along with the improvement in the market.
Indeed, some firms remain down by a significant margin this year or in a trailing 12-month period. Investors seeking a value opportunity might look to these companies. If their fundamentals are strong or there are mitigating external factors that have depressed share prices, which may vanish, they could be poised for major gains.
Here are three compelling rebound candidates to consider.
Cogent: Wavelength Growth Could Signal a Turnaround
Cogent Communications Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CCOI) is a provider of high-speed Internet access, data center, and related services across the United States. After a precipitous drop in share price since February, Cogent is trading close to a one-year low.
One area in which Cogent thrives, however, is wavelength services. These point-to-point connections help to facilitate low-latency environments for data centers and other customers. Demand is high, and Cogent was able to offer wavelength service to nearly 900 centers in the first quarter of the year.
In just two years, revenue for wavelength services has more than doubled. And while revenue in this category remains relatively modest at just $7.1 million, it appears poised to continue growing. In fact, Cogent expects it can capture a full quarter of the North American wavelength market in the next three years.
With gross margin improvements and reduced provisioning times, Cogent’s strategic pivot toward higher-margin services appears promising. This may be why five out of eight analysts rating Cogent have given it a Buy rating, with a consensus price target of $75.75, implying nearly 50% upside.
Regeneron: A Biotech Powerhouse Trading at a Discount
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) is a biotechnology firm developing and marketing drug treatments like Eylea, Libtayo, and Dupixent. Shares are down about 20% YTD and 42% in the last 12 months, as the stock recently reached a multi-year low.
Regeneron is likely to benefit from tailwinds for the biotech sector, including a rush of FDA drug approvals, the incorporation of AI in drug development, and increasing demand. More specifically, Regeneron's pipeline is robust and has helped it to achieve sales growth in recent years; the company achieved $14 billion in sales in 2024, up from just over $13 billion the year prior.
The company's ongoing expansion into new medical areas is likely crucial to its future success. With Dupixent, for example, Regeneron has entered the asthma market. The firm's products are used to treat a wide variety of conditions, ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to various types of cancers, macular degeneration, and more.
For a biotech firm, Regeneron also has an impressively low debt-to-equity ratio of just 0.09. As a signal of its fundamental strength, the company also initiated dividend payments in February 2025. This may be an added incentive to investors looking to capitalize on a stock with a potential upside of 55%, according to analysts.
Atlas Energy: Niche Energy Player With Geographic Edge
Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (NYSE: AESI) provides materials and products for use by the oil and gas industry in the well completion process. The company's shares have plunged by about 42% YTD amid turmoil in the broader energy sector.
Atlas Energy's specialized focus means it faces little competition among other publicly traded companies. This benefits the company when its sand products are in higher demand, as they have been recently, thanks to industry-wide shifts. AESI also has an advantage in the Permian Basin, one of the most prolific oil-producing regions, because of the proximity of its operations, helping to keep costs down and logistics straightforward. Finally, the company is developing a host of new products and services—including a major conveyor belt for use in the Delaware Basin—that should cement its advantage in the space.
Indicating confidence in the company’s growth trajectory, analysts have given AESI a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a price target of $19.81, a potential upside of nearly 49%.