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. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.
Sensata Technologies (ST)
Share Price: $32.60
Originally a temperature sensor control maker and a subsidiary of Texas Instruments for 60 years, Sensata Technology Holdings (NYSE: ST) is a leading supplier of analog sensors used in industrial and transportation applications, best known for its dominant position in the tire pressure monitoring systems in cars.
Why Is ST Risky?
- Sales tumbled by 4.3% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
- Gross margin of 30.6% reflects its high production costs
- Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its decreasing returns suggest its historical profit centers are aging
At $32.60 per share, Sensata Technologies trades at 9.3x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ST in your portfolio.
Newmark (NMRK)
Share Price: $18.29
Founded in 1929, Newmark (NASDAQ: NMRK) provides commercial real estate services, including leasing advisory, global corporate services, investment sales and capital markets, property and facilities management, valuation and advisory, and consulting.
Why Do We Avoid NMRK?
- Annual revenue growth of 7.4% over the last five years was below our standards for the consumer discretionary sector
- Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 0% for the last two years
- Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities
Newmark is trading at $18.29 per share, or 11.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with NMRK, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).
Enphase (ENPH)
Share Price: $37.02
The first company to successfully commercialize the solar micro-inverter, Enphase (NASDAQ: ENPH) manufactures software-driven home energy products.
Why Are We Hesitant About ENPH?
- Declining unit sales over the past two years show it’s struggled to increase its sales volumes and had to rely on price increases
- Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its operating margin to decline by 12 percentage points
- Earnings per share have dipped by 27.3% annually over the past two years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
Enphase’s stock price of $37.02 implies a valuation ratio of 14.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering ENPH for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
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-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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