If you’re analyzing contrarian opportunities in 2025, this list is worth studying. It highlights names that, despite widespread skepticism, have been outperforming more popular picks.

In a year when Wall Street’s darlings have stumbled, some of the most unloved names in the S&P 500 are quietly delivering gains that put high-conviction buys to shame—and the data may challenge how investors think about analyst ratings.

In a newsletter sent Tuesday, DataTrek Research spotlighted what it called "a truly remarkable list": the 10 S&P 500 companies with the highest share of ‘Sell’ ratings from analysts.

“History and year-to-date returns suggest it is a good place to look for longs,” analysts suggested.

The Contrarian Play: Most-Hated, Yet Outperforming

“Wall Street analysts don’t put ‘Sell’ on many stocks,” Datatrek wrote.

FactSet data shows that of the 12,320 ratings issued on S&P 500 stocks, 55.7% are Buys, 38.7% are Holds, and only 5.6% are Sells.

“The percentage of Buy ratings is above its 5-year (month-end) average of 55.0%. The percentage Hold ratings is below its 5-year (month-end) average of 39.1%. The percentage of Sell ratings is also below its 5-year (month-end) average of 5.9%,” FactSet said.

Here are the 10 S&P 500 stocks with the highest percentage of Sell ratings:

As counterintuitive as it may seem, an equal-weighted portfolio of these “Sell-rated” stocks would have returned 3.89% year-to-date through March 25, 2025.

Here’s how the individual “Sell” stocks performed:

That performance handily beats the -2.36% decline of the S&P 500, as tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY), and it's miles ahead of the -10% drop in the Magnificent Seven cohort, tracked by the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (NYSE:MAGS).

The "Buy" Darlings Didn't Deliver

Now, contrast that with the 10 most-loved stocks in the S&P 500 — the ones with the highest percentage of Buy ratings.

But the returns tell a different story. An equal-weighted portfolio of these "Buy-rated" favorites would have lost 4.44% so far in 2025.

Bottom line, the trend offers a striking insight: being unloved by analysts doesn't necessarily doom a stock to underperformance.

In fact, in a year marked by pullbacks in big tech and sector rotations, contrarian plays are quietly thriving.

For those willing to swim against the tide, Wall Street's least-favored stocks may hold the key to outperformance this year.

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Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.