This is historically a weak time for stocks.

Sell in May and go away is one of the oldest adages on Wall Street. Historically, stocks have tended to underperform during the period from the beginning of May to the end of October, and some traders simply choose to get out of the market during that six-month stretch before coming back in November. In recent years, the "sell in May" trade has produced mixed results. However, according to the CFRA analyst team, there are plenty of stocks investors should sell and stay away from, at least until their fundamental outlook improves. Here are eight stocks to sell in May.

Next:Best Buy Co. (ticker: BBY) Credit

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Best Buy Co. (ticker: BBY)

Best Buy has held up well in recent years given some of the struggles by other brick-and-mortar electronics retail stocks. However, analyst Camilla Yanushevsky says Best Buy may start running out of steam given that the North American smartphone market is becoming saturated. A recent Pew Research study found 77% of North American adults own a smartphone. Best Buy management says smart home electronics is a long-term growth opportunity, but Yanushevsky says Best Buy will have trouble competing with Amazon.com (AMZN) in that market. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $60 price target for BBY stock.

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This is historically a weak time for stocks.

Sell in May and go away is one of the oldest adages on Wall Street. Historically, stocks have tended to underperform during the period from the beginning of May to the end of October, and some traders simply choose to get out of the market during that six-month stretch before coming back in November. In recent years, the "sell in May" trade has produced mixed results. However, according to the CFRA analyst team, there are plenty of stocks investors should sell and stay away from, at least until their fundamental outlook improves. Here are eight stocks to sell in May.

Best Buy Co. (ticker: BBY)

Best Buy has held up well in recent years given some of the struggles by other brick-and-mortar electronics retail stocks. However, analyst Camilla Yanushevsky says Best Buy may start running out of steam given that the North American smartphone market is becoming saturated. A recent Pew Research study found 77% of North American adults own a smartphone. Best Buy management says smart home electronics is a long-term growth opportunity, but Yanushevsky says Best Buy will have trouble competing with Amazon.com (AMZN) in that market. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $60 price target for BBY stock.

Gap (GPS)

Like Best Buy, Gap shares have been stable over the past few years as the overall mall retail business has declined. Yanushevsky says Gap’s plan to spin-off Old Navy likely won’t unlock value for shareholders. Old Navy was once Gap’s strongest-performing brand, but same-store sales were flat in the first quarter, down from 9% growth a year ago. Banana Republic’s comps were down 1%, and legacy Gap store comps were down 5%. Yanushevsky says all Gap’s brands have identity challenges in the near term. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $23 price target for GPS stock.

Harley-Davidson (HOG)

Harley-Davidson has been one of the victims of the ongoing international trade war. Analyst Garrett Nelson says higher European tariffs are just one of a handful of near-term headwinds for Harley. Inventory adjustments and an aggressive pricing environment should also weigh on Harley-Davidson’s 2019 numbers. In addition, Nelson says the company has a difficult longer term outlook due to the aging of its customer base. Nelson says trade war uncertainty, declining sales and lower capital returns will likely keep investors away. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $32 price target for HOG stock.

Dish Network Corp. (DISH)

Dish Network provides broadcast satellite TV services to more than 13.5 million Americans, but analyst Tuna Amobi says subscriber growth weakness (net loss of 381,000 subscribers last quarter) is indicative of the difficult path forward in traditional TV services. Ongoing content disputes with Univision and Warner Media create near-term uncertainty for investors and Amobi says DISH also faces potential regulatory risks related to its wireless strategy. The company has said its upcoming transition to 5G networks could cost the company up to $10 billion. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $26 price target for DISH stock.

Twitter (TWTR)

Twitter reported revenue and guidance beats and 11% growth in monetizable daily active users in the first quarter. However, with the stock up 116% in the past two years and trading at a 36.6 forward earnings multiple, it’s difficult to argue that Twitter is a better buy than market leader Facebook (FB). Analyst Scott Kessler says Twitter should continue to grow revenue at a double-digit pace for the next three years, but shares are simply pricing in too much optimism at current levels. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $31 price target for TWTR stock.

Under Armour (UA, UAA)

Under Armour was once one of the most high-flying growth stocks on Wall Street. Unfortunately, North American sales were down 3% in the first quarter. Yanushevsky says even Under Armour’s lackluster full-year guidance for flat North American sales is likely too optimistic. Given North American market share gains by Lululemon Athletica (LULU) and the departure of the head of Under Armour’s North American team in April, Yanushevsky says Under Armour will need to rely heavily on its high-risk international strategy in the near term. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $17 price target for UAA stock.

Verizon Communications (VZ)

With a forward earnings multiple of just 11.7 and a dividend yield of 4.2%, Verizon may seem like a great value. However, analyst Keith Snyder says Verizon has invested too little in content for its media group division to turn the business around. In the near term, Snyder says the lion’s share of Verizon’s cash flow will be devoted to network upgrades and capital returns. At the same time, CFRA is projecting just 0.8% full-year revenue growth in 2019. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $48 price target for VZ stock.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC)

Wells Fargo dealt with one problem after another for the past several years and analyst Kenneth Leon says investors aren’t out of the woods just yet. Leon says loan and deposit growth has disappointed in recent quarters and regulatory headwinds from the Federal Reserve asset cap continue to weigh on Wells Fargo’s numbers. The bank’s expense ratio worsened in the first quarter and Leon says investors will likely be waiting on a comprehensive turnaround strategy at least until the bank finds a new CEO. CFRA has a “sell” rating and $44 price target for WFC stock.

Stocks to sell in May and go away.

Best Buy Co. (BBY)Gap (GPS)Harley-Davidson (HOG)Dish Network Corp. (DISH)Twitter (TWTR)Under Armour (UA, UAA)Verizon Communications (VZ)Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC)1 of 11

Wayne Duggan, Contributor

Wayne Duggan has been a U.S. News & World Report contributor since 2016. He is an expert at ...  Read more

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