Traders often ask me why I don’t like ‘true’ penny stocks…
There are two main reasons I stay away from them … And a recent runner just proved my point.
Today I’ll show you exactly why I don’t like stocks that trade for under $1…
If you’re struggling to find consistency trading ‘true’ penny stocks or OTCs … This could shine new light on your struggles…
Table of Contents
- 1 Three Reasons Why I Don’t Like ‘True’ Penny Stocks
- 1.1 The $2.50 Rule
- 1.2 Float Size
- 1.3 Dilution
Three Reasons Why I Don’t Like ‘True’ Penny Stocks
I’m going to start with the number one reason I don’t like true penny stocks. It accounts for about 70% of why I don’t like them…
The $2.50 Rule
The $2.50 rule is a rule that affects short sellers. It basically means if you short a stock trading under $1, it doesn’t matter how much each share is — you still have to put up $2.50 per share of buying power.
That can eat up a lot of capital.
I mean, why would a short seller put up $2.50 in buying power to short a 40-cent stock down to what … 20 cents?
It doesn’t make sense.
And that’s why there are not as many short sellers in true penny stocks.
You know I love my short squeezes (this record one was incredible!)…
I can enter a long trade at key levels shorts use as risk … And I know there’s a greater chance demand and buyers will come in and push a stock higher.
But without the short sellers, you won’t see as big of moves on high volume
Another reason why I don’t like true penny stocks is…
Float Size
True penny stocks don’t have as volatile of moves.
I’ve seen $5 stocks double and go to $10 more often than I see 50-cent stocks go to $1.
Part of that is because there are no short sellers.
But another reason is that they have massive floats. They can have hundreds of millions of shares available to trade.
Some OTCs even have billions of shares.
It doesn’t matter how big of positions traders are taking — you need some serious volume to move a stock with that many shares.
And that leads me to my final reason…
Dilution
Penny stock companies are notorious for diluting their shares.
They can have a shelf offering which means they can dump shares at any time…
And if they don’t already have one filed, as soon as the stock price goes up they will likely dilute.
Because true penny stocks and OTCs are basically in business to sell shares.
They don’t have products or real services.
American Virtual Cloud Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVCT) is a great example that proves my point…
The stock has a float of 95 million shares. On Wednesday it managed to push from roughly 35 cents to 50 cents. And traders were losing their minds…
But that’s not even that big of a move. And what happened yesterday?
The company filed for an offering and the stock tanked back down to 22 cents.
AVCT chart: 2-day, 1-minute candle — courtesy of StocksToTrade.com
If you traded it on Wednesday for a profit — congrats.
Stocks under $1 just aren’t my style.
And if you’re struggling to find consistency trading them, try something new…
You need to find what fits YOUR trading style.
Trading a higher-priced stock might mean you take a smaller position size. But I think you can get far more predictable moves and volatility to grow your small account.
Have a great day everyone. See you all back here tomorrow.
Tim Bohen
Lead Trainer, StocksToTrade
FAQs
When a stock's price falls to zero, a shareholder's holdings in this stock become worthless. Major stock exchanges actually delist shares once they fall below specific price values. The New York Stock exchange (NYSE), for instance, will remove stocks if the share price remains below one dollar for 30 consecutive days.
Why cheap stocks are bad? ›
A Risky Proposition
A major risk for low-priced securities is the limited amount of publicly available information. Many of these securities are issued by small or emerging companies, which can make it difficult to find comprehensive information about the company's finances or business model.
What are the disadvantages of penny stocks? ›
Due to their low liquidity and small market capitalisation, they are susceptible to price manipulation, fraud, and sudden declines. Investors may experience substantial losses, and some penny stocks may even become worthless.
Is investing $1 in stocks worth it? ›
Investing $1 a day not only allows you to start taking advantage of compound interest. It also helps you to get comfortable with investing and develop the habit of putting your money to work for you. As you can see, that single dollar can make a huge difference in helping you to become more financially secure.
What does it mean when you buy a stock for $1? ›
When you buy $1 of stock, you become a part-owner of the company that issued the stock. This means that you have a claim on the company's assets and earnings, and you may receive dividends if the company is profitable. However, it also means that you are at risk of losing money if the company's stock price declines.
How long can a stock trade below $1? ›
If a company trades for 30 consecutive business days below the $1.00 minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq will send a deficiency notice to the company, advising that it has been afforded a "compliance period" of 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the applicable requirements.
What are the negatives of stocks? ›
Disadvantages of investing in stocks Stocks have some distinct disadvantages of which individual investors should be aware: Stock prices are risky and volatile. Prices can be erratic, rising and declining quickly, often in relation to companies' policies, which individual investors do not influence.
Are penny stocks illegal? ›
Penny stocks are legal, but they are often manipulated. Penny stocks get their name because of their low share price. Any stock trading below $5 a share is generally considered a penny stock.
Why are small stocks risky? ›
lliquidity risk — The shares of smaller companies are less liquid than shares of their larger peers. They also have higher insider ownership, leaving a smaller free-float for external shareholders.
Why do people avoid penny stocks? ›
Although there is nothing inherently wrong with low-priced stocks, they are considered speculative, high-risk investments because they experience higher volatility and lower liquidity. For example, if you buy a penny stock and then decide you want to sell it, it could be more difficult for you to find a buyer.
Most Active Penny Stocks
- GERN4.140.35% Geron Corporation.
- DNA0.990.13% Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.
- DNN2.140.11% Denison Mines Corp.
- SOUN4.620.22% SoundHound AI, Inc.
- FCEL0.930.06% FuelCell Energy, Inc.
- TELL0.490.02% Tellurian Inc.
- JAGX0.210.03% Jaguar Health, Inc.
- WKHS0.170.01% Workhorse Group Inc.
Should you avoid penny stocks? ›
Penny stocks are among the market's most dangerous stocks, so you may pay a much greater price than you first expect, including potentially losing all of your investment. Here's what a penny stock is and why it's so risky to investors looking to grow their wealth.
How much is $1 a day for a year? ›
If you saved $1 a day for a year, do you know how much money you'd have? Roughly $30,000. This is totally 100% true. Well, 101.7% true.
How to invest with just $1? ›
Purchase fractional shares of stock
Rather than having to save up $1,000 to buy a single share of a popular technology company, you can buy . 001 shares of the company for $1. This makes it easy to diversify your portfolio of individual stocks.
Is $100 too little to invest? ›
Investing just $100 a month can actually do a whole lot to help you grow rich over time. In fact, the table below shows how much your $100 monthly investment could turn into over time, assuming you earn a 10% average annual return.
Do I lose my money if a stock is delisted? ›
Though delisting does not affect your ownership, shares may not hold any value post-delisting. Thus, if any of the stocks that you own get delisted, it is better to sell your shares. You can either exit the market or sell it to the company when it announces buyback.
Do you owe money if a stock goes negative? ›
No. A stock price can't go negative, or, that is, fall below zero. So an investor does not owe anyone money. They will, however, lose whatever money they invested in the stock if the stock falls to zero.
Has a stock ever come back from $0? ›
Can a stock ever rebound after it has gone to zero? Yes, but unlikely. A more typical example is the corporate shell gets zeroed and a new company is vended [sold] into the shell (the legal entity that remains after the bankruptcy) and the company begins trading again.
Is a weak dollar good or bad for stocks? ›
More important to an investor is the impact of the dollar's rise or fall on the individual stocks they own. Companies that rely on imports thrive when the U.S. dollar is strong. Companies that sell their products globally thrive when the dollar is weak.