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3 Stocks Under $50 Walking a Fine Line
The $10-50 price range often includes mid-sized businesses with proven track records and plenty of growth runway ahead. They also usually carry less risk than penny stocks, though they’re not immune to volatility as many lack the scale advantages of their larger peers.
These dynamics can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. That said, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Astec (ASTE)
Share Price: $45.65
Inventing the first ever double-barrel hot-mix asphalt plant, Astec (NASDAQ:ASTE) provides machines and equipment for building roads, processing raw materials, and producing concrete.
Why Does ASTE Fall Short?
- Product roadmap and go-to-market strategy need to be reconsidered as its backlog has averaged 28.2% declines over the past two years
- High input costs result in an inferior gross margin of 23.9% that must be offset through higher volumes
- Cash-burning tendencies make us wonder if it can sustainably generate shareholder value
Astec’s stock price of $45.65 implies a valuation ratio of 14.6x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ASTE, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Fortrea (FTRE)
Share Price: $17.70
Spun off from Labcorp in 2023 to focus exclusively on clinical research services, Fortrea (NASDAQ:FTRE) is a contract research organization that helps pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies develop and bring their products to market through clinical trials and support services.
Why Do We Avoid FTRE?
- Annual sales declines of 2.6% for the past four years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
- Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned
- 6× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio shows it’s overleveraged and increases the probability of shareholder dilution if things turn unexpectedly
At $17.70 per share, Fortrea trades at 26.5x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than FTRE.
Employers Holdings (EIG)
Share Price: $42.92
With roots in Nevada and a strong concentration in California where 45% of its premiums are generated, Employers Holdings (NYSE:EIG) is a specialty provider of workers' compensation insurance focused on small and select businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries across the United States.
Why Do We Think EIG Will Underperform?
- 3.3% annualized net premiums earned growth over the last two years lagged behind its insurance peers
- Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last two years, causing its combined ratio to worsen by 10.9 percentage points
- Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 8.3% annually while its revenue grew
Employers Holdings is trading at $42.92 per share, or 0.9x forward P/B. If you’re considering EIG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
The market’s up big this year - but there’s a catch. Just 4 stocks account for half the S&P 500’s entire gain. That kind of concentration makes investors nervous, and for good reason. While everyone piles into the same crowded names, smart investors are hunting quality where no one’s looking - and paying a fraction of the price. Check out the high-quality names we’ve flagged in our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today.