Stocks trading between $10 and $50 can be particularly interesting as they frequently represent businesses that have survived their early challenges. However, investors should remain vigilant as some may still have unproven business models, leaving them vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the broader market.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. That said, here is one stock under $50 that could 10x and two best left ignored.
Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:
Centene (CNC)
Share Price: $37.71
Serving nearly 1 in 15 Americans through its government healthcare programs, Centene (NYSE: CNC) is a healthcare company that manages government-sponsored health insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare for low-income and complex-needs populations.
Why Are We Wary of CNC?
- Customer additions have disappointed over the past two years, indicating the company’s value proposition may not be resonating
- Performance over the past five years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 5.1% annually
- Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned
Centene’s stock price of $37.71 implies a valuation ratio of 15.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CNC.
Cogent (CCOI)
Share Price: $21.70
Operating a massive network spanning 20,000 miles of fiber optic cable and connecting to over 3,200 buildings worldwide, Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) provides high-speed Internet access, private network services, and data center colocation to businesses and bandwidth-intensive organizations across 54 countries.
Why Does CCOI Give Us Pause?
- Sluggish trends in its total connections suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
- Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam
- Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders
At $21.70 per share, Cogent trades at 3.1x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CCOI doesn’t pass our bar.
One Stock Under $50 to Buy:
Sallie Mae (SLM)
Share Price: $26.24
Originally created as a government-sponsored enterprise before privatizing in 2004, Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is a financial services company that provides private education loans, savings products, and educational resources to help students and families pay for college.
Why Is SLM a Good Business?
- Share buybacks catapulted its annual earnings per share growth to 45.3%, which outperformed its revenue gains over the last two years
- Stellar return on equity showcases management’s ability to surface highly profitable business ventures
Sallie Mae is trading at $26.24 per share, or 9.3x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.
High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions
If your portfolio success hinges on just 4 stocks, your wealth is built on fragile ground. You have a small window to secure high-quality assets before the market widens and these prices disappear.
Don’t wait for the next volatility shock. Check out our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 244% over the last five years (as of June 30, 2025).
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 for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
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