Penny stock investment is supposed to be risky - and therefore a possible way to earn handsome returns. It all depends on how well someone chooses his penny stock portfolio. If you can spot potential of undervalued stocks, they might turn out to be a possible goldmine for you. On the other hand, you may also end up losing your shirt if you somehow misread the fine print of any upward market movement in penny stocks. In this context, investors will be well-advised to do a through research on the target penny stocks before putting in their money.

Potential investors of penny stocks can easily smell fraud if they have some sense of stock market functioning. Suppose, an investor wants to buy a particular, then he should check it out to find the recent history of market movement in that particular stock. Whether that stock was dormant earlier and then started rising too sharply all of a sudden without any significant change in the fundamentals of the related company.

Knowing the latest developments in the company’s business plan and financial performance can provide insight as to whether the sudden movement is spontaneous or a result of rigging by some vested interests. Sometimes scammers buy a penny stock in large numbers and then spread positive murmurs about the related company in order to jack up the price. Then they cash in on the euphoric investor mood in a surging capital market. And when the target stock later reaches abnormal heights, they just exit, leaving the late investors to hold the can.

When this happens, the risk is that a gullible investor will lose heavily. Another risk is that after burning his fingers so badly in a penny stock, the investor may behave later like someone “once bitten, twice shy” in regard to stock markets.

Penny Stocks provides detailed information on Penny Stock Investing, Penny Stock Research, Penny Stock Resources, Penny Stock Trading and more. Penny Stocks is affiliated with Wise Stock Trades.

Penny stocks are widely supposed to be risky investment instruments among investors because of the many drawbacks associated with them. One of those usually cited is that penny stocks hardly change hands due to lack of market support and so selling them might not be that easy for investors. Since a savvy investor wants to be sure about the liquidity of his potential investment, he thinks twice before buying penny stocks. This is precisely because many penny stocks with good growth potential also fail to draw due attention from the investors at large. But then, at the same time, that is also the reason why penny stock markets should be mined by investors for a likely treasure trove.

Now that brings us to the big question of how to spot penny stocks with surprising growth potential in a market which apparently holds little attraction for investors. There are various ways of collating the required information to validate initial impression about a targeted penny stock. These include periodic news letters published by many brokers to provide inputs on growth potential of penny stocks short-listed by them for recommended trading. In addition, these brokers also provide advice on a one-on-one level to their clients.

The pink sheets and over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB) also publish transaction details of penny stocks traded there on a daily basis. These are the first hand sources of information on penny stock trading and so investors would benefit by monitoring them. Many penny stocks are also listed on major exchanges like NASDAQ as small-cap stocks. These exchanges require submission of key details on related companies’ business operations under their regular disclosure norms.

Penny Stocks provides detailed information on Penny Stock Investing, Penny Stock Research, Penny Stock Resources, Penny Stock Trading and more. Penny Stocks is affiliated with Wise Stock Trades.

Penny stocks may be quite undervalued sometimes, meaning that they could be good picks for those investors looking for an attractive bang for the buck. However, making a smart investment move in penny stocks, as in case of other such instruments, requires adequate background information on their market history, related companies’ financial performance and quality of the top management. Besides, information is also required on the companies’ future investment and business plan. Such information can be easily collated on those penny stocks listed in small caps on the AMEX and the NASDAQ.

However, those traded only on the pink sheets and the over-the-counter bulleting board (OTCBB) are difficult to track because available details are usually sketchy. Moreover, OTCBBs are not required by law to provide key details relating to their operation and performance. Still, investors can find key details through alternate sources like newsletters published by penny stock brokers, penny stock network and the various websites monitoring trading of penny stocks. Many websites run by penny stock brokers also carry a sizable listing of recommended picks on a daily basis.

Key details on penny stocks for investment purposes can also be purchased from the various brokers involved with their trading on a regular basis. These brokers can also guide you through the intricacies of the penny stock trading on a one-to-one basis. Alternatively, you can do your own research by utilizing the large body of information being published on the web on a daily basis, without depending too much on the brokers. By adopting this approach, you can easily gain key insights on penny stock trading. Once you have put in place your own data base, you will have to just keep your eyes and ears open to know what is really happening in penny stock markets. Accordingly, you can fine-tune your trading strategy.

Penny Stocks provides detailed information on Penny Stock Investing, Penny Stock Research, Penny Stock Resources, Penny Stock Trading and more. Penny Stocks is affiliated with Wise Stock Trades.

Stocks are generally categorized according to their market capitalization and price value by the market players. Accordingly, we hear terms like large cap stocks, medium cap stocks and small cap stocks. Shares with very small market cap (up to $100 million) and a maximum price value of up to $ 3 are called penny stocks in the market jargon. These are usually cited as the opposite of blue chip shares, which often carry a premium tag. Penny stocks are usually traded over the counter (OTC) by the brokers because they are unable to list on exchanges due to their stringent norms.

For one thing, big exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ prefer top-of-the - line companies for listing. More so because they too are keen to feed on reputation of the companies they trade in just as the latter want to cash in on huge turnover volumes of these exchanges. Second, they also strictly enforce compliance of their norms by the listed companies, meaning that those who fail to do so are automatically de-listed. Such exchanges tend to evaluate performance record and caliber of top management of the company applying to list with them.

In contrast, penny stocks are mainly unlisted and traded outside exchanges. In other words, they are nondescript stocks with listless trading. Penny stocks mostly change hands between brokers, without getting much notice from common investors. This is because this category of stocks is supposed to be risky due to lack of key information on the concerned companies, their promoters and management. Perhaps this is the reason why these stocks are so often targeted by investment scammers.

Nevertheless, penny stocks can also turn in unexpectedly big returns if they rise on the fundamentals of the concerned company rather than any market manipulation. This is because most of the penny stocks are generally quite undervalued due to lack of market support. So, anyone who can lay his hands on the right penny stocks might reap unexpected gains some day.

Penny Stocks provides detailed information on Penny Stock Investing, Penny Stock Research, Penny Stock Resources, Penny Stock Trading and more. Penny Stocks is affiliated with Wise Stock Trades.

Before investing your hard-earned cash into penny stocks, it is important to research the penny stocks you want to invest in before committing any cash.. You want to find profitable penny stocks. To do this, you’ll need penny stock leads. Leads are just names of penny stocks that you are thinking of investing in.

There are many ways to get penny stock leads. For example, searching the internet (blogs and forums), joining a penny stock mailing list or keeping an eye out on the news. The main idea is to build a list of around 5 to 10 quality leads that are worthy of your money.

After you have a list of leads, you’ll want to choose one or two of them. You’ll need to go through your list and discard stocks which do not meet your criteria. This process can be tedious but it will be well worth it in the end.

The criteria that I look for include - company history, business plan, opinions of individuals and experts, financial information, competition, track record of the board of directors, company reports and broker recommendations. Using the variables, I can quickly establish whether a particular stock is worth investing in.

Once my list has been cut down to 1 or 2 stocks, I’ll ask for opinions from other people to confirm my selections. It is very important to listen to the views of other investors because, in most cases, they’ll have something valuable to contribute to your research. Perhaps, you missed out a vital piece of information which other investors could highlight for you.

Now that I have 1 or 2 stocks out of my original list of 10, I feel confident that I have done my due diligence and I am ready to invest. I use this process every time I’m investing in penny stocks and , so far, it has been simple but profitable.

About The Author
Sam Chim an experienced Penny Stock investor. If you would like to learn more about Penny Stocks, the author’s site is available at: http://PennyStocks.Invest-Tips.com.

Penny stocks are stocks that normally hold a face value of less than $5. Many small companies offer these low-priced stocks to be traded on the Over-The-Counter-Bulletin-Board (OTCBB) and the Pink Sheets. This is mainly because neither the OTCBB nor the Pink Sheets require the same minimum requirements as the NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), set by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Businesses that are new or close to bankruptcy may issue penny stocks as a quick and easy way for these businesses to create quick capital and try to save the business from having to file bankruptcy in a court.

As you can imagine all of the aforementioned factors- low price, lack of stability and lack of standards- make penny stocks one of the most risky investments for anyone that is interested in playing or trading on the stock market. The fact is most penny stocks do actually end up in bankruptcy, but the lure of the great payoff if a company does succeed, is enough for many people to pursue the buying and selling of penny stocks. There are many other reasons why penny stocks are risky and it includes:

Low or poor liquidity: Since penny stocks are not traded very frequently, there may be difficulty finding a buyer. To interest someone in buying these stocks, the price may have to be priced substantially lowered.

Little or incomplete information about the company: Most of the companies that issue penny stocks do not have enough reportable history to learn a significant amount about them for those investors interested in doing research prior to investing their money. This is also due to the fact that the OTCBB and the Pink Sheets do not have to issue financial statements.

Potential for fraud: Penny stocks are often sold through spam email or off-shore brokers by con artists due in large part to the lack of regulation that penny stocks are not forced to abide by or suffer from.

Although some penny stocks are fraudulent and others are companies facing bankruptcies, this is not true in every case. Quite possibly some of the businesses will one day be listed on the NASDAQ or NYSE, but are currently struggling to meet the requirements. The opportunity to start with these companies from the very beginning can pay off in the end, given the growth potential. If you are able to get in on the ground floor with a company that does find success, you could ride all the way to the top.

It can be difficult determining which of these stocks has the potential for growth. The easiest way to become a victim of fraud is to do little, or even worse, no research. Obtaining this information can be time consuming and difficult, unless you have a very good knowledge of what it is that you are seeking. There are some companies that claim to have “inside information” about companies that issue penny stocks, but there is the possibility that this is a front in order to push a particular stock on an unsuspecting investor.

As an investor, you can either do research or take your chances. The fact that the stocks are very low in price means that if you do buy them, the chance that you lose a lot of money is small. If you are willing to take a loss and understand that the company could go under, they can be a fun and very interesting addition to your portfolio. It is important to remember that your odds are not very good. Most penny stocks will end up in a total loss.

It can be difficult to find a broker that will buy penny stocks. This is due in part to the difficulties in tracking them. There are some online brokers that specialize in penny stocks. Brokers are required by regulations to obtain written confirmation from the client regarding the transaction. In addition, the broker is required to give the client a document that outlines risks when it comes to speculating with penny stocks. Lastly, the broker must inform the buyer the amount of compensation that the firm will receive for the trade and the current market price of the stock. The client will receive monthly statements, which detail the market value of each penny stock that has been purchased.

As you can see penny stock s are an extremely risky investment but there are some instances where the rewards actually outweigh the risk associated with investing in an unknown company. The key is to actually find the right one.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Online Stock Trading Secrets. He provides more stock advice, information and ways to make money with penny stocks that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

To gain from the investments in Penny Stocks, which in itself is a very dicey investment option, you should be very careful about what to pick and what to avoid. Penny Stocks which boasts of converting small capital into big fortunes are primarily those publicly traded stocks that are presently trading under $5 per share. They attract both the traders as well as long term investors because of the small amount of capital required to make substantial gains.

Most of the Penny Stocks are traded on NASDAQ, Pink Sheets or on the Over the Counter Bulletin boards. However, the Penny Stock companies should not be considered inferior in any sense to those traded on major exchanges. In fact, many of them have better growth rates than some of the NYSE stocks and promise handsome returns on petty investments. Yet, you need to do your homework and gain knowledge about these companies to profit from them. Penny Stock picking sites and bulletin boards often assist traders in finding emerging companies but getting influenced merely by the impression created by these sites and getting entangled into the hype generated by the phone salesmen or professional promoters hired by some companies for this job specifically, can lead to disastrous consequences.

As a wise trader you should always avoid those penny stock picking sites which use false advertising and misleading statements which project unrealistic gains, such as, “this stock will go up 10000%” or “this is the greatest company ever”. Some sites even project a false history of their successful penny stock picks. Also, ignore the sites and advertisements that use appealing words like “guaranteed”, “for a limited time”, “we have insider information”, etc. Those Penny Stocks, which guarantee good returns usually never, perform well. This kind of false propaganda can also be witnessed in bulletin boards and chat rooms. More often than not this hype is created by novice traders attempting to make their stocks rise or by the paid representatives of the companies making misleading statements in order to keep the price per share higher while the company dilutes. Thus, it is recommended that you should personally collect all the information about these stocks from reliable resources and should invest in them only if you personally feel that they are a good investment.

Investing in tumbling Penny Stocks in the anticipation of gaining later when these stocks will start performing well should also be avoided, as many of them never recoil. Moreover, you should also ignore those companies that engage in low volume trade and those which offer you stocks without charging any commission. For the reason that it will be very difficult for you to buy or sell those Penny Stocks which trade in low volume, at desirable prices; and the commission free stocks are as a matter of fact, never commission free, as these companies charge their invisible commission either by selling you their stocks at an arbitrary amount or at asking price rather than at bid price.

Hence, you should apply your own diligence and not get influenced by the false hype and propaganda, and pick those penny stocks, which can really convert your pennies into big money.

Mansi aggarwal recommends you visit Penny stock picks for more information.

Should Wiley E. Coyote ever get into buying stocks, I have no doubt he would stack his portfolio with shares of ACME. I’m just not so sure any savvy penny stock investor should follow the economic advice of a coyote.

Investors of the two-legged kind, whether they’re looking at a penny stock or a blue chip behemoth, tend to take a myriad of details into consideration before investing. And so they should.

But a recent study suggests that investors of every stripe take mental short-cuts when it comes to investing…at a time when they should be more rational.

Wall Street gurus and penny stock investors alike it seems, are more likely to purchase newly offered stocks that have an easily pronounceable name, say a pair of Princeton University researchers.

Adam Atler and Danny Oppenheimer found that a stock’s performance immediately after an initial public offering (IPO) appears to be linked to how easily investors (penny stock or otherwise) can pronounce its name and stock ticker symbol.

Danny Oppenheimer, commented, "These findings contribute to the notion that psychology has a great deal to contribute to economic theory."

The two said the effect also extends to ticker symbols. For example, all things being equal, a stock with the symbol BAL should outgain a stock with the symbol BDL in the first days after an IPO.

"We looked at intervals of a day, a week, six months and a year after IPO," Atler said. "The effect was strongest shortly after IPO. For example, if you started with $1,000 and invested it in companies with the 10 most fluent names, you would earn $333 more than you would have had you invested in the 10 with the least fluent."

Oppenheimer acknowledged that their findings do not tell the whole story about the post-IPO success of a stock, not are they good indicators of long-run performance of a penny stock.

"You shouldn’t make changes to your stock portfolio based on our findings. The primary contribution of this paper is to add a piece to the jigsaw of understanding how the markets operate," said Oppenheimer.

So, what does this mean for the green and seasoned penny stock investor? It means you should still take an exhaustive look at any company you’re interested in. It also means that, in the early stages at least, it doesn’t hurt to find a company with a catchy name and ticker symbol to boot.

A seasoned investor with a keen interest in international business and current affairs, John Whitefoot has been working alongside Peter Leeds for the last several years. With over ten years experience in the investing community, Whitefoot is devoted to uncovering the news, trends and ideas that shape penny stock picks on a daily basis.

Penny stocks are also known small caps, micro caps and nano caps. Penny stocks are low-priced issues that are often highly speculative. Usually a penny stock sells for less than one dollar and is highly volatile.

Penny stock trading has its pros and cons. While the benefit is accruing of incredible profit minimum time period, the disadvantage is huge loss due to timely and often unwanted and unexpected fluctuation in the market. Therefore prior to investing in penny stocks there are quite a few things that a trader should bear in mind.

• To begin with the trader should at first examine the share structure and distribution of the shares of a particular stock. Doing this will help you in striking from your list of potential stocks any that indicate a highly disproportionate number of shares held in a single offshore account. For instance if you find millions of shares being held for less than a penny in a single offshore account, you can assure yourself that the moment you invest in the stock, heavy selling will result. Also the moment the stock prices begin to rise, buyers will not show any inclination towards purchasing and your shares will be rendered good for nothing. So it is preferable that you opt a stock where distribution points to a large number of holders.

• A trader should always verify the status or legitimacy of the company. The best way to do it is to contact the company. Most companies list their main contact numbers. Don’t hesitate in calling up the company. Since it is quite possible that a false line is being arranged for it, you should also contact the local operator and find business listings for the officers of the company. In case there are no listed numbers or local numbers to contact the company, drop the idea of that company completely. This is because there is a great threat of fraudulent companies hungry for your investment money. Also if the CEO attends your phone call or the number is residential, means that company is sham.

• When a particular stock is in your mind, before making a move further, take a look at the latest and long-term history of the stock and the company. If the company’s history is composed of reverse splits and reverse mergers, its future is quite precarious. Find a company that has a long and successful history. A company with a long time line can be considered to provide you fruitful returns.

• Before investing any amount, take a look at your bankroll. Bankroll refers to the amount of money you can afford to spend and lose. Since these investments are a risky affair, it is better that pertaining to your bankroll; you calculate a certain sum, losing which, will not trouble you much. Only if you can bear a big loss without hassles, go for higher risk or gain investments, otherwise don’t.

• Since the penny stock companies often do not have definitive revenue systems, measurable inventory levels, reliable quarterly financials or even a definitive product, the worth of most penny stocks can be skillfully assessed. As the stocks of these companies move on speculation, the investor should use alternative research strategies to know which stock will provide great potential in future and has high degree of accuracy.

Mansi aggarwal recommends you visit Penny Stock Investing for more information.

Over the last eight weeks [June, 2006] I’ve been spending a lot of time reading articles describing the current market conditions…trying to figure if it really affects penny stock investors.

Are we in a bull market…are we wading into a bear market. Or is the recent rally just a dead-cat bounce?

The dead cat bounce refers to a short-term recovery in a declining trend. There’s a (relatively) old saying in investing: even a dead cat will bounce if it’s dropped from high enough.

No matter how you slice it…I’m not sure it even matters to penny stock investors like you and me.

For example…stocks surged in Japan this week as reports showed growth in manufacturing and exports. Markets rose across Asia as investors were encouraged by Wednesday’s gains on Wall Street.

Strong earnings reports from two bellwether stocks gave penny stock investors hope that rising interest rates wouldn’t kill profits. The recent sell-off, said one economist was "just turbulence."

The turbulence, it seems, is continuing on this side of the pond. U.S. stocks traded flat to lower Thursday as the market took a breather as higher oil prices and downbeat economic data curbed Wall Street’s momentum. So, what are we to believe, is the market heading up…or heading down?

How does the market look in general terms? As far as stocks are concerned, the S&P index is up just 0.3 percent for the year, the Dow is up 3.4 percent and the NASDAQ is down 2.9 percent. Not sparkling data.

But for penny stock investors, the recent roller coaster ride that many seasoned blue chip investors are reeling over, is just par for the course. We know that a penny stock is often volatile and just as unpredictable.

While a penny stock may be more vibrant when the market is upbeat, in general, a penny stock marches to its own tune. Why? Few investors venture into the field of penny stocks because they are either unwilling or unable to do the work required to accurately predict what these shares may do.

By their nature, it is nearly impossible to know what price a penny stock share should be trading at, and conventional financial ratios and industry comparisons are rarely effective measures for realizing a penny stock’s value. Large one-day percentage gains and losses are not an uncommon occurrence for penny stock investors.

So really, bull, bear or cat…it’s just another day at the computer screen for penny stock investors. The work may be fun…but it’s not easy. Of the 14,000 public companies in the U.S., about 3,300 are considered penny stocks that trade on the OTC Bulletin Board operated by the NASDAQ.

Their visibility is low, chances are you’ve never heard of their CEO and I doubt they have any institutional following. And while they’re highly speculative, the more promising ones have a targeted business plans, and solid positions in niche markets. And for now, they’re flying under the radar of Wall Street

So what do you do in an unpredictable market like the one we’re in? Continue applying the same principles you’ve always used when searching for that untapped penny stock. And enjoy the volatility.

A seasoned investor with a keen interest in international business and current affairs, John Whitefoot has been working alongside Peter Leeds for the last several years. With over ten years experience in the investing community, Whitefoot is devoted to uncovering the news, trends and ideas that shape penny stocks on a daily basis.