Key Points
-
Retirees can find many attractive stocks that cost less than $100 per share.
-
Many of these stocks offer dividends, which are also helpful in retirement.
-
One stock on our list currently is priced at under $25 per share.
Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset's free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don't waste another minute; learn more here.
You don’t necessarily need a fortune to build a reliable retirement portfolio. There are many stocks under $100 per share. These can snowball your portfolio year after year. It is true that the share price matters less nowadays, as fractional shares are easier than ever to buy. Plus, the stability of cash flows and the dividend are important.
At the same time, a low sticker price makes life simpler. It lets you reinvest every dollar of income into full shares. These stocks often have smaller and more agile underlying businesses that can give you more upside potential on top of their defensiveness.
#10 O’Reilly Automotive Inc. (ORLY)
O’Reilly Automotive sells automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories to DIY and professional customers. While it does not give you dividends, O’Reilly consistently returns cash through very large share buybacks. These buybacks have been expanded in recent years. O’Reilly has had steady growth due to the aging civilian vehicle fleet, which is at 12.8 years in 2025.
You can purchase a share of ORLY for $93.64, as of Jan. 15. O’Reilly’s market cap is $79.32 billion. One-year return was 16.8%.
#9 KB Home (KBH)
KB Home targets first-time, first move-up, second move-up, and active-adult buyers with a highly personalized build-to-order model. Why KB Home is interesting for retirees: The company’s footprint and focus on mainstream first-time and move-up buyers give you exposure to long-term U.S. housing demand. It can diversify demand across buyer cohorts over time.
KBH’s share price is $62.38 and the stock has a year-to-date return of 10.6%. KB Home has a market cap of $3.943 billion.
#8 Tractor Supply Co. (TSCO)
You can buy Tractor Supply Co. for $50.64 per share. The stock has a year-to-date return of 1.26%. TSCO’s market cap is $26.758 billion.
The largest rural lifestyle retail chain in the U.S. has a focus on pet, livestock, hardware, and homestead needs. It supports steady, repeat purchase behavior in a resilient niche. TSCO’s dividend is also being boosted quite aggressively.
#7 MGIC Investment Corp. (MTG)
MGIC Investment provides private mortgage insurance to lenders across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. In short, the company helps borrowers qualify for home loans with lower down payments. Why MGIC Investment is interesting for retirees: It is a capital-light insurer that has been performing very well in the past few years. Lower interest rates can help it in the future, too.
MTG shares were $26.14 on Jan. 15, and had a one-year return of 8.71%. Net assets were $6.025 billion.
#6 Bank of America Corp. (BAC)
The big bank can be bought at only $52.57 per share. The second largest bank in the U.S. is considered too big to fail, and that fact alone has made it a remarkably stable institution. When most banks start coming under pressure, Bank of America actually benefits, as depositors see it as safe.
BAC was up 11.56% in the last year. The corporation has a market cap of $383.71 billion.
#5 The Kroger Co. Inc. (KR)
Kroger is the largest U.S. supermarket operator by revenue, with thousands of stores and extensive in-house manufacturing and fuel center operations. The chain is interesting for retirees because gocery retail focuses on everyday essentials, which can help smooth demand across economic cycles for large operators like this one.
KR shares are priced at $62.58. The company has a market cap of $41.441 billion. Its stock rose 6.55% in the last year.
#4 Fastenal Co. (FAST)
Fastenal sells industrial and construction supplies and related services to manufacturing and construction customers. The company pays modest dividends with periodic special dividends in past years.
FAST had a one-year return of 17.18%. The share price is $43.53 and the market cap is $49.958 billion.
#3 Amdocs Ltd. (DOX)
Missouri-based Amdocs provides software and services for communications and media service providers in 90+ countries. This includes customer experience, billing, and network solutions. Why Amdocs is interesting for retirees: The telecom sector may be about to go through a boom as AI and data centers require faster communications. Amdocs’ telecommunications software can be a big beneficiary. The dividends also have considerable room for increase.
DOX can be purchased for $83.29 a share. The stock returned 3.56% year to date. Its market cap is $9.171 billion.
#2 Agree Realty Corp. (ADC)
Agree Realty is a net-lease REIT that buys and develops properties leased to leading omni-channel retailers across the U.S., and it pays its common dividend monthly. The monthly payout cadence may better align with living expenses than quarterly schedules, and the company has an established history of regular distributions. A large, diversified portfolio of 2,500+ properties across all 50 states supports stable rent streams backed by long-term leases to strong tenants.
ADC was down 1.87% in the last year. The market cap is $8.278 billion and shares are currently priced at $71.85.
#1 AT&T Inc. (T)
The telecommunications giant only costs $23.60 per share and offers high dividends. The current dividend yield is 4.73%. AT&T also offers a growth story thanks to its expansion in the fiber business.
The stock was up 4.96% in the last year. T has a market cap of $168.785 billion.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images.