Stocks in the $10-50 range offer a sweet spot between affordability and stability as they’re typically more established than penny stocks. But their headline prices don’t guarantee quality, and investors should exercise caution as some have shaky business models.
Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.
Nature's Sunshine (NATR)
Share Price: $22.47
Started on a kitchen table in Utah, Nature’s Sunshine (NASDAQ: NATR) manufactures and sells nutritional and personal care products.
Why Does NATR Give Us Pause?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last three years as its 2.8% annual growth was below the typical consumer staples company
- Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $474.5 million, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
- Estimated sales growth of 3.1% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
At $22.47 per share, Nature's Sunshine trades at 24.1x forward P/E. If you’re considering NATR for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Byrna (BYRN)
Share Price: $17.38
Providing civilians with tools to disable, disarm, and deter would-be assailants, Byrna (NASDAQ: BYRN) is a provider of non-lethal weapons.
Why Is BYRN Not Exciting?
- Persistent operating margin losses suggest the business manages its expenses poorly
- Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
- Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders
Byrna is trading at $17.38 per share, or 18.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BYRN in your portfolio.
Viavi Solutions (VIAV)
Share Price: $18.95
Once known as JDS Uniphase before its 2015 rebranding, Viavi Solutions (NASDAQ: VIAV) provides testing, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprise, military, and other critical networks and infrastructure.
Why Are We Out on VIAV?
- Sales were flat over the last five years, indicating it’s failed to expand this cycle
- Free cash flow margin shrank by 7.1 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
- Eroding returns on capital from an already low base indicate that management’s recent investments are destroying value
Viavi Solutions’s stock price of $18.95 implies a valuation ratio of 25.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with VIAV, check out our full research report (it’s free).
Stocks We Like More
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 6 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 Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
