diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index 2d86deb..d5494fc 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ func init() { //nolint: gochecknoinits
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&options.ShowPositions, "show-positions", false, "display average unit cost, quantity, portfolio weight")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&options.ShowHoldings, "show-holdings", false, "display average unit cost, quantity, portfolio weight (deprecated: use --show-positions)")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&options.Sort, "sort", "", "sort quotes on the UI. Set \"alpha\" to sort by ticker name. Set \"value\" to sort by position value. Keep empty to sort according to change percent")
+	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&options.ShowAlternateRowBackground, "show-row-background", false, "display alternating row background color")
 
 	printCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&optionsPrint.Format, "format", "", "output format for printing holdings. Set \"csv\" to print as a CSV or \"json\" for JSON. Defaults to JSON.")
 	printCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVar(&configPath, "config", "", "config file (default is $HOME/.ticker.yaml)")
diff --git a/internal/cli/cli.go b/internal/cli/cli.go
index 153ece1..7aa60eb 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cli.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cli.go
@@ -22,15 +22,16 @@ import (
 
 // Options to configured ticker behavior
 type Options struct {
-	RefreshInterval       int
-	Watchlist             string
-	Separate              bool
-	ExtraInfoExchange     bool
-	ExtraInfoFundamentals bool
-	ShowSummary           bool
-	ShowHoldings          bool // Deprecated: use ShowPositions instead, kept for backwards compatibility
-	ShowPositions         bool // Preferred field name
-	Sort                  string
+	RefreshInterval            int
+	Watchlist                  string
+	Separate                   bool
+	ExtraInfoExchange          bool
+	ExtraInfoFundamentals      bool
+	ShowSummary                bool
+	ShowHoldings               bool // Deprecated: use ShowPositions instead, kept for backwards compatibility
+	ShowPositions              bool // Preferred field name
+	ShowAlternateRowBackground bool
+	Sort                       string
 }
 
 type symbolSource struct {
@@ -227,6 +228,7 @@ func GetConfig(dep c.Dependencies, configPath string, options Options) (c.Config
 		config.ShowPositions = showHoldingsFromCLI || showHoldingsFromConfig
 	}
 	config.Sort = getStringOption(options.Sort, config.Sort)
+	config.ShowAlternateRowBackground = getBoolOption(options.ShowAlternateRowBackground, config.ShowAlternateRowBackground)
 
 	return config, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/common/common.go b/internal/common/common.go
index 9da5641..9be40b3 100644
--- a/internal/common/common.go
+++ b/internal/common/common.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ShowSummary                       bool               `yaml:"show-summary"`
 	ShowHoldings                      bool               `yaml:"show-holdings"`  // Deprecated: use ShowPositions instead, kept for backwards compatibility
 	ShowPositions                     bool               `yaml:"show-positions"` // Preferred field name
+	ShowAlternateRowBackground        bool               `yaml:"show-alternate-row-background"`
 	Sort                              string             `yaml:"sort"`
 	Currency                          string             `yaml:"currency"`
 	CurrencyConvertSummaryOnly        bool               `yaml:"currency-summary-only"`
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ type ConfigColorScheme struct {
 	TextLine      string `yaml:"text-line"`
 	TextTag       string `yaml:"text-tag"`
 	BackgroundTag string `yaml:"background-tag"`
+	BackgroundRow string `yaml:"background-row"`
 }
 
 type ConfigAssetGroup struct {
diff --git a/internal/ui/component/watchlist/row/row.go b/internal/ui/component/watchlist/row/row.go
index 90293ff..9da97e6 100644
--- a/internal/ui/component/watchlist/row/row.go
+++ b/internal/ui/component/watchlist/row/row.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	ExtraInfoFundamentals bool
 	Styles                c.Styles
 	Asset                 *c.Asset
+	RowBackground         string
 }
 
 type UpdateAssetMsg *c.Asset
@@ -221,18 +222,27 @@ func (m *Model) View() string {
 			})
 	}
 
+	contentResult := grid.Render(grid.Grid{Rows: rows, GutterHorizontal: WidthGutter})
+
+	if m.config.RowBackground != "" {
+		contentResult = u.ApplyBackground(contentResult, m.config.RowBackground)
+	}
+
 	if m.config.Separate {
-		rows = append(
-			rows,
-			grid.Row{
-				Width: m.width,
-				Cells: []grid.Cell{
-					{Text: textSeparator(m.width, m.config.Styles)},
+		separatorResult := grid.Render(grid.Grid{
+			Rows: []grid.Row{
+				{
+					Width: m.width,
+					Cells: []grid.Cell{
+						{Text: textSeparator(m.width, m.config.Styles)},
+					},
 				},
-			})
+			},
+		})
+		contentResult = contentResult + "\n" + separatorResult
 	}
 
-	return grid.Render(grid.Grid{Rows: rows, GutterHorizontal: WidthGutter})
+	return contentResult
 }
 
 func (m *Model) buildCells() []grid.Cell {
diff --git a/internal/ui/component/watchlist/watchlist.go b/internal/ui/component/watchlist/watchlist.go
index 92725eb..dcaecc8 100644
--- a/internal/ui/component/watchlist/watchlist.go
+++ b/internal/ui/component/watchlist/watchlist.go
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@ import (
 
 // Config represents the configuration for the watchlist component
 type Config struct {
-	Separate              bool
-	ShowPositions         bool
-	ExtraInfoExchange     bool
-	ExtraInfoFundamentals bool
-	Sort                  string
-	Styles                c.Styles
+	Separate                    bool
+	ShowPositions               bool
+	ExtraInfoExchange           bool
+	ExtraInfoFundamentals       bool
+	Sort                        string
+	Styles                      c.Styles
+	RowAlternateBackgroundColor string
 }
 
 // Model for watchlist section
@@ -85,6 +86,10 @@ func (m *Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (*Model, tea.Cmd) {
 				cmds = append(cmds, cmd)
 				m.rowsBySymbol[assets[i].Symbol] = m.rows[i]
 			} else {
+				rowBackground := ""
+				if i%2 == 1 {
+					rowBackground = m.config.RowAlternateBackgroundColor
+				}
 				m.rows = append(m.rows, row.New(row.Config{
 					Separate:              m.config.Separate,
 					ExtraInfoExchange:     m.config.ExtraInfoExchange,
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ func (m *Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (*Model, tea.Cmd) {
 					ShowPositions:         m.config.ShowPositions,
 					Styles:                m.config.Styles,
 					Asset:                 asset,
+					RowBackground:         rowBackground,
 				}))
 				m.rowsBySymbol[assets[i].Symbol] = m.rows[len(m.rows)-1]
 			}
diff --git a/internal/ui/ui.go b/internal/ui/ui.go
index d325ad8..447355b 100644
--- a/internal/ui/ui.go
+++ b/internal/ui/ui.go
@@ -84,12 +84,13 @@ func NewModel(dep c.Dependencies, ctx c.Context, monitors *mon.Monitor) *Model {
 		assetQuotesLookup: make(map[string]int),
 		positionSummary:   asset.PositionSummary{},
 		watchlist: watchlist.NewModel(watchlist.Config{
-			Sort:                  ctx.Config.Sort,
-			Separate:              ctx.Config.Separate,
-			ShowPositions:         ctx.Config.ShowPositions,
-			ExtraInfoExchange:     ctx.Config.ExtraInfoExchange,
-			ExtraInfoFundamentals: ctx.Config.ExtraInfoFundamentals,
-			Styles:                ctx.Reference.Styles,
+			Sort:                        ctx.Config.Sort,
+			Separate:                    ctx.Config.Separate,
+			ShowPositions:               ctx.Config.ShowPositions,
+			ExtraInfoExchange:           ctx.Config.ExtraInfoExchange,
+			ExtraInfoFundamentals:       ctx.Config.ExtraInfoFundamentals,
+			Styles:                      ctx.Reference.Styles,
+			RowAlternateBackgroundColor: util.GetRowAlternateBackgroundColor(ctx.Config),
 		}),
 		summary:            summary.NewModel(ctx),
 		groupMaxIndex:      groupMaxIndex,
diff --git a/internal/ui/util/style.go b/internal/ui/util/style.go
index 43e5f61..bde13f7 100644
--- a/internal/ui/util/style.go
+++ b/internal/ui/util/style.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package util
 import (
 	"math"
 	"regexp"
+	"strings"
 
 	c "github.com/achannarasappa/ticker/v5/internal/common"
 	"github.com/lucasb-eyer/go-colorful"
@@ -144,3 +145,45 @@ func getColorOrDefault(colorConfig string, colorDefault string) string {
 
 	return colorDefault
 }
+
+// GetRowAlternateBackground returns the resolved background color hex for alternate rows
+func GetRowAlternateBackground(colorScheme c.ConfigColorScheme) string {
+	return getColorOrDefault(colorScheme.BackgroundRow, "#303030")
+}
+
+// GetRowAlternateBackgroundColor returns the alternate row background color when the feature
+// is enabled in the config, or an empty string when the feature is disabled.
+func GetRowAlternateBackgroundColor(config c.Config) string {
+	if !config.ShowAlternateRowBackground {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	return GetRowAlternateBackground(config.ColorScheme)
+}
+
+// ApplyBackground applies a background color to a rendered terminal string,
+// including re-applying after any terminal reset sequences so that fill spaces
+// between styled chunks also receive the background color.
+func ApplyBackground(text string, bgHex string) string {
+	if bgHex == "" {
+		return text
+	}
+
+	bgColor := p.Color(bgHex)
+
+	// te.Style{}.Background(color).Styled("") returns "\x1b[48;...m\x1b[0m" or "" for ASCII profile
+	openCode := te.Style{}.Background(bgColor).Styled("")
+	openBgCode := strings.TrimSuffix(openCode, "\x1b[0m")
+
+	if openBgCode == "" {
+		// ASCII profile or unknown color - no background available
+		return text
+	}
+
+	const resetCode = "\x1b[0m"
+
+	// Prepend background, and re-apply it after every reset in the text
+	result := openBgCode + strings.ReplaceAll(text, resetCode, resetCode+openBgCode)
+
+	return result + resetCode
+}