This year has seen the energy industry produce negative oil prices and the collapse of one of its oldest and biggest companies. Alternative energy is more mainstream than ever, but fossil fuels still make up about 80% of the energy production in the U.S. Coal is down, but natural gas and nuclear energy production are both up and at record-high production levels.
There are new opportunities for investors in renewable energy, with solar and wind production leading the way to new highs in consumption and production for the subsector. Transportation led end-use sectors in consumption with 28.2 quads of primary energy and electricity purchased in 2019.
All of this means that plenty of money is moving through the energy sector. There are more small companies than ever attempting to service the growing energy needs of an expanding global population. The penny stock market is a great way to leverage your money to profit from the world’s energy use.
Overview: Energy Penny Stocks
There are plenty of penny stocks to trade today, but this was not always the case. The 1970s brought us the beginning of the liberalized energy market. Before then, petroleum dominated both energy consumption and production, and production was dominated by the Seven Sisters — BP, Gulf Oil, Royal Dutch Shell, Standard Oil Company of California (now Chevron), ExxonMobil, Standard Oil Company of New York and Texaco (merged into Chevron).
The energy market is always one of the most affected during an economic crisis or pandemic. The oil crisis of 1973 marked the rise of OPEC and the first genuine threat to the Seven Sisters oligarchy. As different parts of the world began to understand the benefits of energy localization, international authorities began to actively break up and avoid oligopolies. The 2008 economic crisis caused many nations to overhaul their energy consumption and importation policies, pressuring petroleum exporters for fairer treatment.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to help break up centralization in the energy industry. Newer, cheaper forms of energy are now becoming more viable, further reducing the influence of formerly dominant companies like ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and BP (NYSE: BP). There is now room for companies like First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR), NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE) and Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE: BEP) to hold a substantial portion of the market alongside them.
Innovations such as blockchain energy also create room for small companies to serve local and regional energy needs with lower barriers to entry.
Best Online Brokers for Energy Penny Stocks
Making money in energy is much easier when you have an intuitive and reliable trading platform to execute your trades. Having a great investment strategy is one thing, but one bad input or unfortunate stretch of downtime can erase the benefit of all of your research and planning. It is always a good idea to test your ideas and execution strategy in a virtual account to learn how to trade penny stocks — execution is everything in this market. Compare the features of the brokers below to determine which one is right for you.
Best For
Intermediate Traders and Investors
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1 Minute Review
Webull, founded in 2017, is a mobile app-based brokerage that features commission-free stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading. It’s regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Webull offers active traders technical indicators, economic calendars, ratings from research agencies, margin trading and short-selling. Webull’s trading platform is designed for intermediate and experienced traders, although beginning traders can also benefit.
Webull is widely considered one of the best Robinhood alternatives.
Best For
- Active traders
- Intermediate traders
- Advanced traders
Pros
- Commission-free trading in over 5,000 different stocks and ETFs
- No account maintenance fees or software platform fees
- No charges to open and maintain an account
- Leverage of 4:1 on margin trades made the same day and leverage of 2:1 on trades held overnight
- Intuitive trading platform with technical and fundamental analysis tools
Cons
- Does not support trading in mutual funds, bonds or OTC stocks
Best For
Futures Trading
N/A
1 Minute Review
TradeStation is for advanced traders who need a comprehensive platform. The brokerage offers an impressive range of investable assets as frequent and professional traders appreciate its wide range of analysis tools. TradeStation’s app is also equally effective, offering full platform capabilities.
Best For
- Advanced traders
- Options and futures traders
- Active stock traders
Pros
- Comprehensive trading platform and professional-grade tools
- Wide range of tradable securities
- Fully-operational mobile app
Cons
- Confusing pricing structure to leave new traders with a weak understanding of what they pay
- Cluttered layout to make navigating TradeStation’s platform more difficult than it should be
Best For
Options Trading
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1 Minute Review
This publicly listed discount broker, which is in existence for over four decades, is service-intensive, offering intuitive and powerful investment tools. Especially, with equity investing, a flat fee is charged, with the firm claiming that it charges no trade minimum, no data fees, and no platform fees. Though it is pricier than many other discount brokers, what tilts the scales in its favor is its well-rounded service offerings and the quality and value it offers its clients.
Best For
- Novice investors
- Retirement savers
- Day traders
Pros
- World-class trading platforms
- Detailed research reports and Education Center
- Assets ranging from stocks and ETFs to derivatives like futures and options
Cons
- Thinkorswim can be overwhelming to inexperienced traders
- Derivatives trading more costly than some competitors
- Expensive margin rates
Best For
Advanced traders
N/A
1 Minute Review
Moomoo is a commission-free mobile trading app available on Apple, Google and Windows devices. A subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd., it’s backed by venture capital affiliates of Matrix, Sequoia, and Tencent (NASDAQ: FUTU). Securities offered by Futu Inc., regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Moomoo is another great alternative for Robinhood. This is an outstanding trading platform if you want to dive deep into smart trading. It offers impressive trading tools and opportunities for both new and advanced traders, including advanced charting, pre and post-market trading, international trading, research and analysis tools, and most popular of all, free Level 2 quotes.
Get started right away by downloading Moomoo to your phone, tablet or another mobile device.
Best For
- Cost-conscious traders
- Novice traders
- Active/Advanced traders
Pros
- Free Level 2 market data for all users who open an account
- Commission-free trading in over 5,000 different stocks and ETFs
- Over 8,000 different stocks that can be sold short
- $0 contract fee for trading options, no commission either
- Strong market data and analysis tools with over 50 technical indicators
- Access trading and quotes in pre-market (4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET) and post-market hours (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET)
- No minimum deposit to open an account.
- Active trading community with more than 100,000 app users
Cons
- No phone or chat support
Change Means Change
Energy is essential, so any change in the industry just means money is moving around. When money is moving, you have a chance to profit. The winners in energy investment are the people who take the time to research the industry and follow the money.
Whether you join the revolution of alternative energy or choose to squeeze your profits from oil and gas, there is money to be made on both sides. Beware volatility post-COVID as the world decides whether it will go back outside or stay in, and always do your due diligence on the individual companies that are on your radar.
