Penny stocks have been around since the 19th century, and they’ve also been a big part of the American investment system ever since they developed. This era is actually the one that gave these stocks their names, as modern penny stocks cost far more than a penny. They average between ten cents and five dollars apiece in modern money. Why don’t we take a look at some of the risks you’ll encounter when dealing in penny stocks, then ways they can help you turn a profit.
Penny stocks are share offerings made by companies that are either too new or too small to be listed in the major exchanges. These have a potential to grow a lot for a relatively small initial investment, but they can also be part of unpleasant pump and dump schemes. Like anything else in the over the counter (OTC) market, the buyer should beware.
Choosing penny stocks in a reasonable fashion means having the business model of the company selling them independently appraised. This is like buying shares in any other company that’s being publicly traded. It’s important to understand the company’s business model, what they’re doing, who’s competing with them, what they make and what products are being offered.
One of the things that makes penny stocks so appealing is the fact that most of the businesses offering them are extremely simple. One typical kind of penny stock is a mining company that profits only when the price of the material it extracts goes above a certain level. There are also some oil exploration stocks that are valued in the same way.
Penny stocks are rated as a high risk vehicle by the Securities and Exchange commission. Some of the risks you’ll encounter when dealing with these stocks include incomplete and indirect financial reporting, limited liquidity and even complete fraud. People who are playing with a day trading strategy will find that sudden demands for penny stock creates enormous volatility. Penny stocks are hard to short sell for this reason.
Penny stocks have significantly less stringent financial reporting guidelines than listings on the national exchanges, and sometimes a stock will even de list for a few days. In the area of investing referred to as the Pink Sheets, penny stocks are known for having almost no requirements for regulation at all. They have no reporting guidelines or minimum accounting standards.
Because these stocks aren’t standardized and don’t have an generally accepted requirements for accounting, they can be extremely vulnerable to being manipulated or even just plain fraud. People posing as independent observers can encourage people to run up the price, then they sell and de list the stock. This is the classic pump and dump scam.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should never invest in penny stocks. There are lots of real, legitimate startup companies out there, and they need to have a good place to get up and running. If you’re able to pick a winner, you’ll get an impressive return.
If you’re someone who can spot companies that have a lot of promise, you could end up with a big payback. Even if you lose on eighty percent of your picks, the twenty-five percent that do work out, will be enough to make up for the rest.
