3 Stocks Under $50 That Concern Us

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.

Central Garden & Pet (CENT)

Share Price: $36.23

Enhancing the lives of both pets and homeowners, Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) is a leading producer and distributor of essential products for pet care, lawn and garden maintenance, and pest control.

Why Is CENT Risky?

1. Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
2. Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment
3. Underwhelming 9.1% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam

Central Garden & Pet is trading at $36.23 per share, or 13.7x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CENT.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)

Share Price: $12.04

Formed from the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) is a multinational media and entertainment company, offering television networks, streaming services, and film and television production.

Why Do We Avoid WBD?

1. Products and services aren't resonating with the market as its revenue declined by 4.2% annually over the last two years
2. Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 30.9% annually while its revenue grew
3. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results

Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock price of $12.04 implies a valuation ratio of 3.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why WBD doesn’t pass our bar.

Warner Music Group (WMG)

Share Price: $31.74

Launching the careers of legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Warner Music Group (NASDAQ:WMG) is a music company managing a diverse portfolio of artists, recordings, and music publishing services worldwide.

Why Are We Wary of WMG?

1. Lackluster 4.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates the company is losing ground to competitors
2. Projected sales growth of 4.9% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
3. ROIC of 14.1% reflects management’s challenges in identifying attractive investment opportunities

At $31.74 per share, Warner Music Group trades at 25.2x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WMG in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking 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-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

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