When most people think about trading stocks, they imagine million-dollar brokers trading shares of major corporations like Amazon (NYSE: AMZN), AT&T (NYSE: T) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). But trading like a pro doesn’t necessarily require millions of dollars of free capital in your brokerage account. They also look for a few penny stocks to buy now that offer both variety and diversity. Everyone wants to know how to find the best penny stocks, but those same people are often not committed to the intensive research that’s required.
Penny stocks, occasionally referred to as “micro-cap” or “nano-cap” stocks are low-value stocks representing smaller companies. As the name suggests, these stocks are often priced under $2 per share — making them much more accessible to new investors or those with less capital. Take a look at some of the best penny stocks right now.
| Ticker | Company | ±% | Price | Invest | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Get YOUR penny stock insights delivered straight to your inbox.
Best Penny Stocks
Here's a round-up of the best penny stocks for the day.
Blue Star Foods Corp is an international seafood company. It imports, packages, and sells refrigerated pasteurized crab meat, and other premium seafood products. The company derives revenue from importing blue and red swimming crab meat primarily from Indonesia, Philippines and China and distributing it in the United States and Canada under several premium brand names such as Blue Star, Oceanica, Pacifika, Crab & Go, First Choice, Good Stuff and Coastal Pride Fresh.
Geovax Labs Inc is us-based clinical-stage biotechnology company. It is engaged in developing immunotherapies and vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases using a novel patented Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Virus Like Particle (GV-MVA-VLP) vector vaccine platform. The development programs of the company focused on preventive vaccines against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Zika Virus, hemorrhagic fever viruses, and malaria, as well as therapeutic vaccines for chronic Hepatitis B infections and cancers. The product pipeline includes HIV Preventive Vaccine, Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccines, Zika Vaccine, Malaria vaccine, and Cancer Immunotherapy.
Helbiz Inc provides electric micro-mobility services. The company offers a diverse fleet of vehicles including e-scooters, e-bicycles and e-mopeds all on one convenient, user-friendly platform around the world. Helbiz utilizes a customized, proprietary fleet management platform, artificial intelligence, and environmental mapping to optimize operations and business sustainability. It is expanding its urban lifestyle products and services to include live streaming services (Helbiz Live), food delivery (Helbiz Kitchen), financial services and more, all accessible within its mobile app.
BiomX Inc is a clinical-stage microbiome company based in Israel. The company is engaged in developing both natural and engineered phage cocktails designed to target and destroy harmful bacteria that affect the appearance of the skin, as well as harmful bacteria in chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
Axcella Health Inc a biotechnology company focused on treating complex diseases and improve health using endogenous metabolic modulator, or EMM, compositions. Its product candidates are comprised of multiple EMMs that are engineered in distinct combinations and ratios to simultaneously impact multiple biological pathways. The company's pipeline includes lead therapeutic candidates, AXA1665 for the reduction in risk of recurrent overt hepatic encephalopathy, and AXA1125 for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Where to Buy Penny Stocks
No matter if you’re day trading penny stocks or you’re looking for stocks under $10 to add to your long-term portfolio, you need to open a brokerage account before you can begin trading. Your broker will carry out buy and sell orders on your behalf, as traders can’t buy or sell stocks directly on the market. Plus, they can help you learn how to find penny stocks on your own, allowing you to participate more actively in the construction of your portfolio.
Think you’ve found the best cheap stocks to invest in right now and need a brokerage account? The best penny stocks require almost immediate action so that you can get the most out of those investments. Consider our favorite penny stocks to watch.
Overview: What Are Penny Stocks?
Penny stocks are shares of small companies that typically trade for significantly less money than shares of larger companies. Despite the name, the term “penny share” can be applied to any stocks under $5. A penny stock might be sold on an over-the-counter (OTC) exchange but many are also sold on SEC-regulated exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Penny stocks have historically been subject to scams and artificial price inflation due to their ease of manipulation. One of the most popular forms of penny stock fraud is the “pump and dump” scheme. During a pump and dump, marketers who hold shares of a particular security intentionally spread false or misleading information about the company issuing the stock, which causes the price of the stock to rise sharply. After the price has risen, the holders “dump” the stocks at inflated prices onto those buying in after hearing the news.
The expanding use of social media websites like Twitter and Facebook has increased instances of pump and dump schemes, especaill as penny stock news floods the marketplace. It’s now more important than ever for investors to do their due diligence before they make a purchase. In fact, you can uncover penny stocks to watch, even if you aren’t convinced they’re a good buy yet.
Penny stocks are also attractive to investors because they show higher-than-average volatility. The volatility of a stock describes how often and by what magnitude a stock will increase or decrease in value over the course of a normal trading day. For example, the best penny stock under 10 cents could soar, but they could also fail. You’re taking a risk, but the rewards are immense. The best penny stocks are not sure-fire investments, but they are still risky, and you should consider how much risk you are willing to take and how long you believe that position should last.
Some investors will only spend a few minutes in a position, a few hours, or perhaps a few days. The best penny stocks are rarely ”buy and hold stocks” that you can sit on for ages.
High volatility means that there is plenty of room for profit when buying and selling penny stocks. For example, if you purchase 1,000 shares of Stock X at $1 and sell them at $2, you’ve doubled your money and earned $1,000. However, this high volatility also means that it’s possible to lose money quickly. When you find penny stocks to buy right now, you may also need to babysit your account in the meantime and/or sell just as quickly.
Features to Look for in Penny Stock
Yes, you’ve found the best penny stock of the day, but they are not all equally good investments. Penny stock trading is risky by nature — but you can limit your risk. When searching for penny stocks to buy now, look for these 5 key features:
- Trades on a major exchange: Most penny stocks are sold on OTC markets or through the OTC Bulletin Board. Though these shares are usually very cheap (often trading for pennies on the dollar) they also enjoy much lower levels of oversight. If you’re buying your first penny stocks, begin by searching for stocks on major exchanges, like the NYSE or NASDAQ. Stocks listed on these exchanges must meet minimum requirements set by the Securities Exchange Commission, which greatly reduces the likelihood that you’ll get caught up in a scam.
- The company looks legitimate: Any company in which you choose to invest needs more than a Facebook page or social media account to herald its online presence. Check the news for information about the company, and even search for consumer reviews. This type of information lets you know if the company is worth your time and money. Yes, OTC penny stocks are attractive, but you must be certain that the company is not only legitimate but viable.
- Find the catalyst: You need to know why the stock is rising in the first place. Look for a product announcement or something major that would give you an idea of why the price is rising or falling. While researching the company, you might uncover an aforementioned “pump and dump” scheme. If you buy in and get out quickly, you can make money. If you aren’t prepared for such a scheme, you could easily lose your money.
- A high daily trading volume. Many investors look to high-volume penny stocks in the hopes of earning money by swing trading or day trading. However, what some people forget is that if you want to sell a stock, there needs to be someone on the market willing to buy it. Use a stock screener to search for penny stocks with higher average daily volumes. A higher volume will help you sell off your stocks when you choose — not when prices are at rock bottom.
- A positive earnings per share. A stock’s earnings per share (EPS) value is equal to the current earnings of the company divided by the current number of shares outstanding. If possible, look for a stock with a positive EPS value — this indicates that the company is currently profitable.
Most penny stocks represent smaller or newly formed corporations, so this may not always be possible. If you do decide to invest in a stock with a negative EPS value, make sure that it has a manageable level of debt.
Should You Invest in Penny Stocks?
Investing in penny stocks can be exciting. With a wide range of industry options, higher volatility and hundreds of stocks under $20, it’s easy to see why so many investors are drawn to the opportunities that penny stocks represent. However, it’s also important to remember that penny stocks are very risky — and they should never make up the majority of your portfolio.
Try not to fall into the false narrative that companies like Apple and Microsoft were once penny stocks. That is simply not true. The Microsoft IPO was priced at $21.00 — in 1986. Remember to use total market funds and index funds as the basis of your portfolio because they are tried and true while a bundle of penny stocks is not. This will leave you room for growth while also protecting your future.
Don’t be afraid, however, to invest in a few of the best penny stocks and hope they increase in value. Monitor these stocks closely so you can sell them off if they drop or rise quickly. While a stop-loss order can prevent losses, a stop-limit order can secure quick profits.
Penny stocks are great for beginner investors that want to learn more about the markets.
Why Invest in Penny Stocks?
Timing the market, entering and exiting at the right time is always ideal when you trade penny stocks. And if penny stocks are part of your game, you may want to learn how to trade professionally through technical analysis for you to get in at a swing low, retracements, breakouts or along with price action setups as confirmation to increase your profitability. More than choosing the best penny stocks for 2021, you need a strategy that’s tried and true.
We’ve got established trader Ezekiel Chew founder of Asia Forex Mentor, who makes 6 figures a trade, and trains the bank traders behind the scenes, to share with us how to be successful in trading and investing.
Ezekiel believes there are three key aspects to successful trading:
1. You’ve first got to learn how to read the charts. And one of the best ways to learn this is through price action; the technique that the majority of professional traders use. Once you have learned how to read the charts, you will know why the market is going up, down or sideways and then will you recognize which strategy to put into play in that direction.
2. Trade with a proven trading strategy or a combination of strategies. A proven strategy is one that is comprehensively back-tested and has been shown to work consistently. It is only in this way that you will have the confidence to stick with it during the lull periods.
3. Have a solid trading system. One that is defined not only by the technical aspects but also by the business behind trading; a properly structured trade that is in line with the overall trading plan that has been proven to work. In contrast to what most new traders think, trading is not just about strategies, but the system itself also contributes greatly to becoming a successful trader.
If you want to learn the precise trading system that Ezekiel uses to make 6 figures a trade and that he uses to train banks, check out the Asia Forex Mentor One Core Program, which has turned many new traders into professionals. You can also create your own strategy, seek out legitimate penny stocks and diversify your portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get rich off penny stocks?
You cannot get rich off penny stocks, but you can diversify your portfolio with a few penny stocks. There are times when companies recover from bankruptcy or financial troubles only to rise from the ranks of penny stocks. You can also make some savvy trades when penny stocks suddenly rise, offering you a quick profit. However, you cannot get rich off penny stocks alone. Every investment portfolio should be diverse, featuring a few penny stocks, and several other assets.
How can I invest $1000 in penny stocks?
If you plan to put $1000 into penny stocks, you must spread your purchases across several stocks in many different industries. Choose a few penny stocks to buy now, but you remember to invest in stocks that cost more than a few pennies. Because a penny stock can cost up to $2 a share, you can avoid stocks that might drop too low, get delisted or become practically worthless.
What are penny stocks?
Penny stocks are stocks that sell for under $5.