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.
Coursera (COUR)
Share Price: $10.29
Founded by two Stanford University computer science professors, Coursera (NYSE: COUR) is an online learning platform that offers courses, specializations, and degrees from top universities and organizations around the world.
Why Are We Wary of COUR?
- Customer spending has dipped by 6.4% on average as it focused on growing its customers
- Estimated sales growth of 5.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
- Highly competitive market means it’s on the never-ending treadmill of sales and marketing spend
Coursera’s stock price of $10.29 implies a valuation ratio of 32.1x forward EV/EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with COUR, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Medifast (MED)
Share Price: $13.99
Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.
Why Should You Sell MED?
- Sales tumbled by 33.9% annually over the last three years, showing consumer trends are working against its favor
- Sales were less profitable over the last three years as its earnings per share fell by 71.3% annually, worse than its revenue declines
- Capital intensity has ramped up over the last year as its free cash flow margin decreased by 7.6 percentage points
At $13.99 per share, Medifast trades at 0.4x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including MED in your portfolio.
Benchmark (BHE)
Share Price: $38.14
Operating as a critical behind-the-scenes partner for complex technology products since 1979, Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE) provides advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technology solutions for original equipment manufacturers across aerospace, medical, industrial, and technology sectors.
Why Are We Hesitant About BHE?
- Sales tumbled by 6.3% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
- Poor free cash flow margin of 0.8% for the last five years limits its freedom to invest in growth initiatives, execute share buybacks, or pay dividends
- Underwhelming 7.3% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities
Benchmark is trading at $38.14 per share, or 15.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BHE.
Stocks We Like More
Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.
The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% 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
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