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 dynamic 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. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Shutterstock (SSTK)

Share Price: $20.21

Originally featuring a library that included many of founder Jon Oringer’s photos, Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK) is now a digital platform where customers can license and use hundreds of millions of pieces of content.

Why Does SSTK Fall Short?

1. Muted 6.5% annual revenue growth over the last three years shows its demand lagged behind its consumer internet peers
2. Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last three years as its EPS grew by just 5.6% annually
3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 25.9 percentage points over the last four years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Shutterstock is trading at $20.21 per share, or 2.5x forward EV-to-EBITDA. If you’re considering SSTK for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Vontier (VNT)

Share Price: $33.15

A spin-off of a spin-off, Vontier (NYSE:VNT) provides electronic products and systems to the transportation, automotive, and manufacturing sectors.

Why Do We Pass on VNT?

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. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 12.7 percentage points
3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Vontier’s stock price of $33.15 implies a valuation ratio of 10.7x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with VNT, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Helios (HLIO)

Share Price: $36.95

Founded on the principle of treating others as one wants to be treated, Helios (NYSE:HLIO) designs, manufactures, and sells motion and electronic control components for various sectors.

Why Are We Out on HLIO?

1. Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
2. Revenue growth over the past five years was nullified by the company’s new share issuances as its earnings per share fell by 2.9% annually
3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 6.2 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

At $36.95 per share, Helios trades at 16.1x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why HLIO doesn’t pass our bar.

Stocks We Like More

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Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like United Rentals (+322% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.