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2 Stocks Under $50 on Our Buy List and 1 We Question

BALL Cover Image

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.

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 two stocks under $50 with huge potential and one that could be down big.

One Stock Under $50 to Sell:

Ball (BALL)

Share Price: $49.65

Started with a $200 loan in 1880, Ball (NYSE: BLL) manufactures aluminum packaging for beverages, personal care, and household products as well as aerospace systems and other technologies.

Why Do We Avoid BALL?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. High input costs result in an inferior gross margin of 21.6% that must be offset through higher volumes
  3. Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of -0.6% for the last five years

At $49.65 per share, Ball trades at 13x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with BALL, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Two Stocks Under $50 to Buy:

Oscar Health (OSCR)

Share Price: $17.98

Founded in 2012 to simplify the notoriously complex American healthcare system, Oscar Health (NYSE: OSCR) is a technology-focused health insurance company that offers individual and small group health plans through its cloud-native platform.

Why Will OSCR Outperform?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 47% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
  2. Adjusted operating margin expanded by 33.5 percentage points over the last five years as it scaled and became more efficient
  3. Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last four years, increasing by 19.3% annually

Oscar Health is trading at $17.98 per share, or 116.8x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Merchants Bancorp (MBIN)

Share Price: $32.20

With a strategic focus on low-risk, government-backed lending programs, Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQCM:MBIN) is an Indiana-based bank holding company specializing in multi-family mortgage banking, mortgage warehousing, and traditional banking services.

Why Should You Buy MBIN?

  1. Annual net interest income growth of 22.9% over the last five years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
  2. Earnings per share grew by 13.9% annually over the last five years, massively outpacing its peers
  3. Annual tangible book value per share growth of 21.1% over the last two years was superb and indicates its capital strength increased during this cycle

Merchants Bancorp’s stock price of $32.20 implies a valuation ratio of 0.7x forward P/B. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check 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

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

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