Upgraded to ‘Buy’ and Still Down 20%-Plus: Columbia Financial, Proto Labs & Opera
|
Key Takeaways
|
 |
| By Mandeep Rai Reviewed by: Dawn Pennington |
A falling stock price can attract attention. A fresh Weiss “Buy” rating can give investors another reason to look.
Our latest Weiss screen brings those two developments together: stocks that recently entered our “Buy”-rated category (“A+” to “B-”) while trading below their previous highs.
The goal is to find companies worth revisiting — businesses whose current ratings offer a more encouraging assessment than their share-price performance might suggest.
Three names moved from “C+” — our highest “Hold” rating — to “B-” — our lowest “Buy” rating — on Nov. 11:
To be clear, these are upgrades into Weiss “Buy” territory, which makes them worth watching … and potentially worth owning … based on that factor alone.
However, each has a different business story, along with recent developments worth keeping on your radar.
So, we dug deeper to see why the Weiss stock ratings found them worthy of a brand-new “Buy” grade … and whether we could see more upgrades from these stocks in the future.
Here’s what we found …
How This List Works
Our screen looks for stocks that crossed into Weiss “Buy” territory during the latest 10 completed model runs and remained “Buy”-rated afterward.
It then identifies those trading at least 10% below their trailing 52-week closing highs — subject to market-cap, price and liquidity requirements.
That combination matters because a lower price alone tells us very little about a company’s investment appeal.
Sometimes a decline reflects deteriorating conditions. Other times, a business starts making progress while its shares remain well below earlier levels.
A fresh Weiss stock upgrade helps narrow the research list. It does not establish that a stock has bottomed, or that its previous high represents fair value.
These names below are ordered by upgrade recency, followed by distance below their highs — not by expected return.
Here’s the top 20 on the list, ordered by recent upgrade and percent below its 52-week high:
Let’s take a closer look at the top three stocks on this list.
Columbia Financial: A Bank in Transition
Columbia Financial earned a “B-” rating on Nov. 11, up from “C+,” as the company works through a substantial transformation.
During the third quarter, Columbia completed its second-step stock conversion and acquisition of Northfield Bancorp.
Its Oct. 29 earnings release showed net interest margin widening to 2.96%, compared with 2.29% a year earlier.
That measures the spread the bank earns between interest income and funding costs, relative to its interest-earning assets.
The earnings picture commands a closer look …
Reported quarterly net income fell to $5.2 million from $14.9 million. Meanwhile, management’s non-GAAP core net income increased to $40.6 million from $15.4 million.
Merger expenses, securities sales and other transactions complicated the comparison.
For investors, the next question is whether the larger bank can turn improved margins into sustained earnings after those transaction effects subside.
Its fresh Weiss “Buy” rating makes that progress worth monitoring.
You can tell that a stock has earned a recent upgrade by visiting its page on the Weiss Ratings website and taking note of the green “up” arrow next to its letter grade.
Proto Labs: Growing Sales & Improving Profitability
Proto Labs moved from “C+” to “B-” on Nov. 11. At our screener’s $69.11 closing price, its shares were approximately 30% below their 52-week closing high.
The digital manufacturing company’s latest operating results provide an encouraging counterpoint to that pullback.
Third-quarter revenue reached a record $154.3 million, up 14% from a year earlier. The company saw growth across CNC machining, injection molding and 3D printing. GAAP operating margin increased to 9.4% from 6.5%.
Management also raised its full-year revenue growth outlook to 10%–11%, from 8%–10%.
That gives investors a concrete development to follow: whether stronger demand and better profitability can continue into subsequent quarters.
PRLB illustrates the question this screen is designed to raise.
The shares remain below their high, while the latest results show a business expanding sales and improving margins.
The upgrade adds another reason to examine that gap.
Opera: More Users, with an Earnings Update Approaching
Opera also advanced from “C+” to “B-” on Nov. 11. Its $15.93 closing price placed it approximately 22% below its 52-week closing high.
The browser company recently announced that its desktop audience reached 100 million monthly active users in October, up 16% from a year earlier.
In a Nov. 3 preview, Opera reported third-quarter revenue of $182.8 million, up 20%, and adjusted EBITDA of $43.2 million, representing a 24% margin.
There is a near-term event to watch, too.
Opera scheduled its full third-quarter results for Nov. 17, when investors can assess the complete report and management’s outlook.
For Opera, the central question is whether audience growth continues translating into revenue and durable profitability as competition in browsers and AI tools evolves.
Which Stock(s) Should You Put on Your Own Watchlist?
These companies offer three different developments to track: a bank integrating an acquisition, a manufacturer delivering stronger operating results, and a browser business expanding its audience.
Their shared feature is a recent move into Weiss “Buy” territory.
This list provides a repeatable way to find stocks deserving fresh attention after a pullback.
Watch whether their “Buy” ratings hold, whether subsequent results support the business story, and whether price performance begins to improve alongside them.
Ratings and stock prices reflect the supplied Nov. 11, 2026, snapshot. Distance below a previous high is not a valuation discount or a price target.
