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.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Franklin Resources (BEN)

Share Price: $24.86

Operating under the widely recognized Franklin Templeton brand since 1947, Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management organization that offers financial services and solutions to individuals, institutions, and wealth advisors worldwide.

Why Should You Sell BEN?

1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 2.3% annual growth was below the typical financials company
2. Earnings per share fell by 4.3% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
3. Below-average return on equity indicates management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

Franklin Resources’s stock price of $24.86 implies a valuation ratio of 10.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BEN.

Navient (NAVI)

Share Price: $13.40

Spun off from Sallie Mae in 2014 to handle the company's loan servicing and collection operations, Navient (NASDAQ:NAVI) provides education loan servicing and business processing solutions that help manage federal student loans, private education loans, and government services.

Why Should You Dump NAVI?

1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 12.1% annually over the last five years
2. Falling earnings per share over the last five years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
3. Debt-to-equity ratio of 18.7× is concerningly high, indicating excessive leverage that could limit financial flexibility

Navient is trading at $13.40 per share, or 11.7x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including NAVI in your portfolio.

Bank of America (BAC)

Share Price: $50.75

Tracing its roots back to 1784 and now serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients, Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) is a global financial institution that provides banking, investing, asset management, and risk management products and services to individuals, businesses, and governments.

Why Do We Think Twice About BAC?

1. Sizable revenue base leads to growth challenges as its 2.1% annual revenue increases over the last two years fell short of other banking companies
2. Sizable revenue base leads to growth challenges as its 4.8% annual net interest income increases over the last five years fell short of other banking companies
3. Inferior net interest margin of 2% means it must compensate for lower profitability through increased loan originations

At $50.75 per share, Bank of America trades at 1.3x forward P/B. If you’re considering BAC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

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 6 Stocks for this week. 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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