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Penny stocks consist of corporate stocks that have a very low cost — maybe not just a penny, but quite low compared to the stocks of most listed companies. Many of these stocks trade in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets, which means that they trade through a network of brokers and dealers and not on a centralized stock exchange. With that noted, some stocks that are technically penny stocks can be found listed on major exchanges.
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What is Considered a Penny Stock?
The current correct definition of a penny stock is any stock priced under $5. Some stocks lose their value when the issuing company’s business declines or it approaches bankruptcy. They sometimes lose enough value to eventually become penny stocks, which is the reason that some penny stocks trade on major exchanges.
Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO) is a good example of a stock becoming a penny stock. It was trading at over $13 per share in December 2019, but the stock since fell to hit a low of $3.02 in March 2020 before bouncing somewhat to currently trade at $4.23 per share.
MRO continues trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) because it has not yet met the delisting criteria. Stocks that do meet that criteria will move from an exchange to the OTC Markets.
While Marathon Oil is just one example among many penny stocks, the majority of them are issued by small or new companies without a track record to generate investor interest. Such stocks could still have considerable upside potential depending on the company’s product or service.
What Penny Stocks to Buy
You can find 3 penny stocks of companies in the communications, mining and pharmaceutical fields below that show considerable promise. Some of them have even been accumulated by major hedge funds.
- Orbcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: ORBC) This penny stock currently trades at the $3.75 level and was recently shown to be held by 19 hedge funds. The company specializes as a provider of industrial internet of things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications solutions. Rochelle Park, New Jersey-based Orbcomm offers multi-network connectivity with cutting-edge devices and applications for governments, as well as for the transportation and distribution, oil and gas, maritime and heavy equipment industries.
- Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (NYSE: ASM) A Canadian mining penny stock that traded as low as $0.39 in May 2020 and has since tripled to its current level of $1.08 per share, thanks in large part to the recent rally in the gold market. The company owns an interest in 42 mineral claims and 4 leased mineral claims in Mexico and Canada, and its stock could see further upside if the rally in the gold market continues.
- Lipocine Inc. (NASDAQ: LPCN) Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Lipocine is a specialty pharmaceutical company that focuses on men and women’s health. Its lead product candidate is TLANDO, an oral testosterone replacement therapy. The company also has an oral hydroxyprogesterone caproate product called LPCN 1107 that is used for preventing preterm birth from reoccurring. The company’s stock traded as high as $18 per share in 2015 but then fell to a low of $0.301 in November 2019 and has since rallied to $1.42.
List of Best and Worst Penny Stocks Right Now
The best penny stocks generally have a solid balance sheet and either already show a profit, or will potentially show profits in the near future. Also, many prominent foreign companies list their stocks on the OTC markets to avoid the steep listing fees charged by major U.S. stock exchanges.
Foreign companies’ stocks that trade on the U.S. over-the-counter market include the Japanese holding conglomerate SoftBank (Pink: SFTBY) that has a market cap of over $94 billion and Nestle SA (Pink: NSRGY) with a market cap of $345 billion.
The worst penny stocks typically don’t disclose their finances to shareholders and don’t have the obligation to report their earnings or other financial aspects of the company. These stocks trade on the Pink market, and can often be risky investments.
Gainers
| Symbol | Open | Close | Change | Change % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Buy UTSI Stock – Trade Now
UTSI
UTStarcom Holdings |
0.86 | 3.64 | 2.78 | 322.77% | 22.25K |
|
Buy ALNA Stock – Trade Now
ALNA
Allena Pharma |
0.12 | 0.26 | 0.14 | 114.28% | 563.80M |
|
Buy COMS Stock – Trade Now
COMS
ComSovereign Holding |
0.16 | 0.23 | 0.08 | 48.61% | 35.53M |
|
Buy BBI Stock – Trade Now
BBI
Brickell Biotech |
0.12 | 0.17 | 0.05 | 44.20% | 162.52M |
|
Buy ADTX Stock – Trade Now
ADTX
Aditxt |
0.14 | 0.20 | 0.06 | 41.85% | 26.19M |
|
Buy AEZS Stock – Trade Now
AEZS
AEterna Zentaris |
0.18 | 0.26 | 0.08 | 41.58% | 26.40M |
|
Buy DBTX Stock – Trade Now
DBTX
Decibel Therapeutics |
2.65 | 3.69 | 1.04 | 39.27% | 8.70M |
|
Buy VINE Stock – Trade Now
VINE
Fresh Vine Wine |
1.50 | 2.08 | 0.58 | 38.78% | 19.33K |
|
Buy ID Stock – Trade Now
ID
PARTS iD |
1.02 | 1.41 | 0.39 | 38.07% | 97.11K |
|
Buy ATXI Stock – Trade Now
ATXI
Avenue Therapeutics |
0.24 | 0.32 | 0.08 | 32.57% | 3.45M |
|
Buy CGTX Stock – Trade Now
CGTX
Cognition Therapeutics |
1.70 | 2.23 | 0.53 | 31.17% | 10.29K |
|
Buy GROV Stock – Trade Now
GROV
Grove Collaborative Hldgs |
4.72 | 6.12 | 1.40 | 29.74% | 1.50M |
|
Buy JFU Stock – Trade Now
JFU
9F |
0.80 | 1.02 | 0.22 | 28.01% | 46.75K |
|
Buy HYPR Stock – Trade Now
HYPR
Hyperfine |
2.17 | 2.75 | 0.58 | 26.72% | 52.70K |
|
Buy REVB Stock – Trade Now
REVB
Revelation Biosciences |
0.49 | 0.62 | 0.13 | 26.36% | 3.58M |
|
Buy CETXP Stock – Trade Now
CETXP
Cemtrex |
0.72 | 0.90 | 0.18 | 25.00% | 18.86K |
|
Buy IMTE Stock – Trade Now
IMTE
Integrated Media Tech |
2.89 | 3.57 | 0.68 | 23.54% | 13.99M |
|
Buy QNRX Stock – Trade Now
QNRX
Quoin Pharmaceuticals |
0.42 | 0.51 | 0.09 | 22.04% | 1.76M |
|
Buy TRVI Stock – Trade Now
TRVI
Trevi Therapeutics |
2.02 | 2.41 | 0.39 | 19.32% | 63.99M |
|
Buy RAIN Stock – Trade Now
RAIN
Rain Therapeutics |
4.20 | 4.99 | 0.79 | 18.80% | 21.50K |
Losers
| Symbol | Open | Close | Change | Change % | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Buy RESI Stock – Trade Now
RESI
Front Yard Residential |
5837.18 | 11.98 | -5825.20 | -99.80% | 0.17K |
|
Buy HOTL Stock – Trade Now
HOTL
Kelly Strategic ETF Trust Kelly Hotel & Lodging Sector ETF |
4215.66 | 12.37 | -4203.29 | -99.71% | 0.30K |
|
Buy XDNA Stock – Trade Now
XDNA
Strategic CRISPR & Gene Editing Technology ETF |
3000.37 | 10.41 | -2989.96 | -99.66% | 3.83K |
|
Buy ASPN Stock – Trade Now
ASPN
Aspen Aerogels |
14.71 | 8.44 | -6.27 | -42.63% | 16.38M |
|
Buy AGRX Stock – Trade Now
AGRX
Agile Therapeutics |
2.41 | 1.56 | -0.86 | -35.48% | 31.67M |
|
Buy XCUR Stock – Trade Now
XCUR
Exicure |
0.13 | 0.09 | -0.04 | -28.05% | 47.99M |
|
Buy ALRN Stock – Trade Now
ALRN
Aileron Therapeutics |
0.41 | 0.30 | -0.11 | -27.12% | 3.35M |
|
Buy ENDP Stock – Trade Now
ENDP
Endo International |
0.71 | 0.52 | -0.19 | -27.03% | 163.00M |
|
Buy BBBY Stock – Trade Now
BBBY
Bed Bath & Beyond |
6.53 | 4.99 | -1.54 | -23.56% | 34.09M |
|
Buy LYT Stock – Trade Now
LYT
Lytus Technologies Hldgs |
7.00 | 5.45 | -1.55 | -22.15% | 3.44M |
|
Buy AREN Stock – Trade Now
AREN
Arena Group Holdings |
10.82 | 8.57 | -2.25 | -20.80% | 89.52K |
|
Buy HLGN Stock – Trade Now
HLGN
Heliogen |
2.50 | 1.99 | -0.51 | -20.46% | 3.97M |
|
Buy VEDU Stock – Trade Now
VEDU
Visionary Education Tech |
2.18 | 1.74 | -0.45 | -20.42% | 2.32M |
|
Buy AMBO Stock – Trade Now
AMBO
Ambow Education Holding |
0.45 | 0.36 | -0.09 | -20.22% | 34.80K |
|
Buy PGY Stock – Trade Now
PGY
Pagaya Technologies |
5.32 | 4.28 | -1.04 | -19.55% | 30.97K |
|
Buy GROM Stock – Trade Now
GROM
Grom Social Enterprises |
0.56 | 0.45 | -0.11 | -19.53% | 75.37K |
|
Buy DRTS Stock – Trade Now
DRTS
Alpha Tau Medical |
11.60 | 9.35 | -2.25 | -19.40% | 10.29K |
|
Buy VIVE Stock – Trade Now
VIVE
Viveve Medical |
0.82 | 0.67 | -0.15 | -18.32% | 62.90K |
|
Buy EAR Stock – Trade Now
EAR
Eargo |
0.97 | 0.81 | -0.17 | -17.09% | 1.28M |
|
Buy VIAO Stock – Trade Now
VIAO
VIA optronics |
2.65 | 2.20 | -0.45 | -16.99% | 17.96K |
Pink Market Stocks
The Pink market — formerly known as the pink sheets because quotes were printed on pink paper — is operated by OTC Markets Group, which also operates the OTCQX and OTCQB markets.
Companies listed on the OTCQX and OTCQB markets are obligated to provide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with key financial information and be current on their disclosure, while companies listing their stock on the Pink market have no obligation to file with the SEC or to disclose their finances to investors.
How to Quickly Identify a Penny Stock
The general criteria for a penny stock is the stock of a very small company trading under $5 per share. This makes identifying penny stocks pretty easy, although some exceptions do exist as mentioned above.
Sorting penny stocks into different categories can further narrow down your choices when doing research. For example, you might look for stocks under $3 per share, penny stocks listed on major exchanges, or penny stocks traded on the Pink market.
Best Online Brokers for Penny Stocks
Many online brokers now offer their stock brokerage services free of charge for stocks listed on major U.S. stock exchanges. Due to liquidity issues and the lack of a centralized marketplace, however, most brokers charge a commission for penny stocks and require a minimum share purchase amount. Make sure you know how much your broker charges for penny stock transactions before you begin trading penny stocks. You can start your search for a good broker to trade penny stocks through by looking through the table below.
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.
- Active traders
- Intermediate traders
- Advanced traders
- No account maintenance fees or software platform fees
- No charges to open and maintain an account
- Intuitive trading platform with technical and fundamental analysis tools
- Does not support trading in mutual funds, bonds or OTC stocks
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.
- Cost-conscious traders
- Active and Advanced traders
- Over 8,000 different stocks that can be sold short
- 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.
- No chat support
This latest groundbreaking technology is IBKR GlobalAnalyst, a new trading tool that helps investors compare the rate of PEG or price-earnings growth valuations and provide more immediate and comprehensive financial metrics of stocks, globally.
Recognizing that stock selection can be challenging for investors to compare the valuations of domestic and international stocks, Interactive Brokers created GlobalAnalyst to offer investors a simple, yet powerful tool to easily evaluate investment opportunities around the world.
Using GlobalAnalyst, investors can search for stocks by region, country, industry, market capitalization and currency to uncover undervalued stocks worldwide. The resulting table displays the current market and financial metrics, including the PEG Ratio. The PEG Ratio is the PE ratio divided by the three-year compound earnings growth rate, and smaller PEG Ratios typically indicate undervalued companies.
- Price earnings growth valuations
- Easily evaluate investment opportunities
CenterPoint Securities is ideal for active traders who demand access to advanced tools and services. While investors and casual traders are likely to be content with the basic offerings of traditional online brokerages, active traders will benefit from CenterPoint’s suite of advanced trading tools. If you value execution quality, access to short inventory, advanced trading platforms, and accessible customer service, CenterPoint is an excellent choice.
- Intermediate to Advanced traders
- High-volume traders
- Momentum traders
- Short sellers
- Unrivaled access to short inventory
- Flexible order routing for improved executions
- Discounts for active traders
- Advanced platform with fast executions
- Reliable customer service
- Not designed for beginner or low-volume traders
Are Penny Stocks for You?
Whether penny stocks are for you or not depends largely on your risk tolerance. While the market volatility of penny stocks can be considerably higher than that of regular listed stocks, your downside risk is limited to the purchase price. This amplified risk is due to the nature of penny stocks since they are often either stocks of companies facing financial difficulties or stocks of small, new companies without a performance track record or proven profitability.
Even with the risks involved, you can gain great rewards from trading penny stocks. For example, Amazon.com’s stock was once a penny stock that traded at $1.50 per share in June 1997, and you could still buy the stock under $6 per share in September 2001. Having the foresight to purchase Amazon at those low levels would have provided quite a handsome return since its current value is $3,443 per share!
You may find it challenging to find another gem that performs like Amazon among the thousands of penny stocks you can trade. Still, if you do diligent research and manage to identify an industry with strong future prospects, you could pick the next Amazon to invest in.