3 Stocks Under $50 Walking a Fine Line

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.

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 are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Kura Sushi (KRUS)

Share Price: $45.27

Known for its conveyor belt that transports dishes to diners, Kura Sushi (NASDAQ:KRUS) is a chain of sushi restaurants serving traditional Japanese fare with a touch of modernity and technology.

Why Are We Hesitant About KRUS?

1. Lagging same-store sales over the past two years suggest it might have to change its pricing and marketing strategy to stimulate demand
2. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
3. 6× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio shows it’s overleveraged and increases the probability of shareholder dilution if things turn unexpectedly

At $45.27 per share, Kura Sushi trades at 24.7x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including KRUS in your portfolio.

Central Garden & Pet (CENT)

Share Price: $30.47

Enhancing the lives of both pets and homeowners, Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) is a leading producer and distributor of essential products for pet care, lawn and garden maintenance, and pest control.

Why Should You Dump CENT?

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. Projected sales for the next 12 months are flat and suggest demand will be subdued
3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its decreasing returns suggest its historical profit centers are aging

Central Garden & Pet’s stock price of $30.47 implies a valuation ratio of 11.2x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CENT doesn’t pass our bar.

Integral Ad Science (IAS)

Share Price: $10.23

Processing over 280 billion digital ad interactions daily through its AI-powered technology, Integral Ad Science (NASDAQ:IAS) provides a cloud-based platform that measures and verifies digital advertising across devices, channels, and formats to ensure ads are viewable, fraud-free, and brand-safe.

Why Are We Wary of IAS?

1. Annual revenue growth of 13.6% over the last two years was below our standards for the software sector
2. Operating profits increased over the last year as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
3. Capital intensity will likely ramp up in the next year as its free cash flow margin is expected to contract by 10.9 percentage points

Integral Ad Science is trading at $10.23 per share, or 2.6x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with IAS, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Your portfolio can’t afford to be based on yesterday’s story. The risk in a handful of heavily crowded stocks is rising daily.

The names generating the next wave of massive growth are right here in 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 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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.