3 Absurdly Cheap Stocks to Buy Before the End of 2026

The article identifies Viking Therapeutics, Verizon and Royal Caribbean as potentially undervalued stocks, while noting meaningful risks: Viking has no approved drug and may need to raise capital, whereas Verizon faces potential Starlink competition. Viking's VK2735 showed 16%–19% weight loss over 21 weeks in trials; Verizon yields 6.6% and trades at about 9 times estimated future profits. Royal Caribbean agreed to acquire a 50% stake in Sandals and Beaches Resorts for $3 billion and projected 9% full-year revenue growth and 14% adjusted earnings growth.

Analysis

The key asymmetry is different across these names: VKTX is a clinical- and funding-risk asset, VZ a cash-flow/competitive-disruption debate, and RCL an execution-and-capital-allocation story. Treat the article’s low forward multiples and yield as unverified snapshots, not evidence of mispricing; estimates can move quickly when risk assumptions change.

For VKTX, positive trial read-through may support the obesity-drug narrative over the next 1–3 months, but no approved product means financing and trial outcomes dominate any valuation anchor. In a crowded market with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, efficacy alone may not secure commercial advantage; tolerability, durability, manufacturing and access matter. A partnership or acquisition is optionality, not a base case. Over 6–18 months, dilution or weaker data can overwhelm sector enthusiasm.

For VZ, satellite-to-mobile is more plausibly a coverage/capacity complement initially than a full substitute for terrestrial networks. The bear case is not simply lost subscribers: credible alternatives could pressure pricing and raise retention spending across carriers. Regulatory permissions, device compatibility and service quality are key gates. The high yield could attract income buyers, but does not eliminate balance-sheet or payout risk.

RCL’s resort expansion could deepen customer spend and diversify the vacation funnel, but integration, funding cost and returns on the investment are not established by the announcement. Near-term guidance supports the operating case; over the next year, consumer softness, fuel costs or weaker booking/pricing trends could expose cruise cyclicality. The contrarian point: “cheap” screens understate event risk for VKTX and execution risk for RCL, while VZ’s apparent yield discount may persist if disruption becomes credible.

Key Decisions for Investors

• VKTX: avoid treating a pullback as a valuation entry. Keep exposure small or wait for verified trial detail and cash runway; add only if efficacy holds up and financing needs are manageable. Falsify the bull case on disappointing late-stage data, safety issues, or materially dilutive capital raising.
• VZ: prefer staged income exposure over a large one-time buy. Monitor dividend coverage, subscriber/pricing trends, and concrete regulatory and device milestones for SPCX’s mobile service. Reassess if terrestrial carriers show sustained churn or pricing deterioration, rather than reacting to spectrum headlines alone.
• RCL: hold off on adding until the Sandals/Beaches transaction’s funding, integration plan and expected returns are clearer. Track booking/pricing indicators, fuel and interest expense, and guidance revisions over the next few quarters; trim the thesis if earnings growth weakens despite resilient revenue.
• No broad ‘undervalued stocks’ basket: these are distinct risk exposures, not a common catalyst. The article supplies no current consensus, balance-sheet detail or independently verified valuation inputs, so avoid price-target-based trades until those are checked.