StockStory favors LPL Financial, flags risks at Terex and Merit Medical

StockStory said on May 15, 2026, that LPL Financial (NASDAQ:LPLA) is its preferred profitable stock among three companies reviewed, while expressing caution on Terex (NYSE:TEX) and Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI). LPL Financial, cited for its independent broker-dealer model, traded at $289.02 with a 12.4 times forward price-to-earnings ratio. The company reported a trailing 12-month GAAP operating margin of 9%. Terex, a lifting and material-handling equipment manufacturer, traded at $64.24 and 12.4 times forward earnings, with a trailing 12-month GAAP operating margin of 5.5%. Merit Medical, a maker of devices used in minimally invasive procedures, traded at $60.31 and 14.9 times forward earnings, with a 12.2% trailing operating margin.