Trading Penny Stocks - Looking For A List Of Penny Stocks?

Common misspellings: pennny stock, pennny stocks, peny stock

Penny stocks are low-priced stocks – usually with a value of less than $5 – of small companies. These stocks are traded on the Over-The-Counter-Bulletin-Board (OTCBB) and the Pink Sheets. Both these trading venues do not have the same kind of minimum requirements of exchanges such as Nasdaq or the NYSE set by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Companies which issue penny stocks may be new businesses or close to bankruptcy. A new issue of stocks could be a way to inject quick capital to try to save the business.

All of these factors – low price, lack of standards, and lack of stability – make penny stocks one of the riskiest investments around. It is true that if a company succeeds the payoff will be great, but the vast majority of penny stocks end in bankruptcy. Other reasons why penny stocks are risky include...

- Lack of information about the company. Companies listed in the Pink Sheets or the OTCBB do not have to issue financial statements. Most companies also have little reportable history.

- Low liquidity. Penny stocks are infrequently traded, so finding a buyer may be difficult. The price may have to  lowered substantially to interest someone in buying the stock.

- Potential fraud. Due to their unregulated nature, penny stocks are often used by con artists who sell them through  spam email or off-shore brokers.

So penny stocks are risky but are there any benefits to them?

Continue...