Stocks in the $10-50 range offer a sweet spot between affordability and stability as they’re typically more established than penny stocks. But their headline prices don’t guarantee quality, and investors should exercise caution as some have shaky business models.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.
Silgan Holdings (SLGN)
Share Price: $38.71
Established in 1987, Silgan Holdings (NYSE: SLGN) is a supplier of rigid packaging for consumer goods products, specializing in metal containers, closures, and plastic packaging.
Why Should You Sell SLGN?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 5.1% annual growth was below the typical industrials company
- Gross margin of 16.8% reflects its high production costs
- Low free cash flow margin of 1.9% for the last five years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders
Silgan Holdings’s stock price of $38.71 implies a valuation ratio of 9.6x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including SLGN in your portfolio.
Valley National Bank (VLY)
Share Price: $13.86
Tracing its roots back to 1927 during the economic boom before the Great Depression, Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQGS:VLY) operates Valley National Bank, providing commercial, consumer, and wealth management banking services across several states.
Why Do We Steer Clear of VLY?
- Net interest income trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 9.6% annual growth was below the typical banking firm
- Net interest margin of 3% is well below other banks, signaling its loans aren’t very profitable
- Annual earnings per share growth of 1.5% underperformed its revenue over the last five years, showing its incremental sales were less profitable
Valley National Bank is trading at $13.86 per share, or 1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why VLY doesn’t pass our bar.
TFS Financial (TFSL)
Share Price: $16.79
Tracing its roots back to 1938 during the Great Depression era when savings and loans were vital to homeownership, TFS Financial (NASDAQ: TFSL) is a savings and loan holding company that provides mortgage lending, deposit services, and other retail banking products primarily in Ohio and Florida.
Why Do We Think TFSL Will Underperform?
- Annual net interest income growth of 3.9% over the last five years was below our standards for the banking sector
- Net interest margin of 1.7% reflects its high servicing and capital costs
- Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last five years as they only grew by 2% annually
At $16.79 per share, TFS Financial trades at 2.4x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with TFSL, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Stocks We Like More
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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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
