Penny stock

Penny stock

Used in the context of general equities. Stock that typically sells for less than $1 a share, although it may rise to as much as $10/share after the initial public offering, usually because of heavy promotion. All are traded OTC, many of them in the local markets of Denver, Vancouver, or Salt Lake City.

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penny stock

A low-priced, speculative stock. Although the maximum price at which a security may sell and still be classified as a penny stock is subject to individual interpretation, $1 is probably the most commonly recognized limit. Many penny stocks are traded in the over-the-counter market and on smaller exchanges.

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Penny stock. Stocks that trade for less than $1 a share are often described as penny stocks.

Penny stocks change hands over-the-counter (OTC) and tend to be extremely volatile. Their prices may spike up one day and drop dramatically the next.

The fluctuations reflect the unsettled nature of the companies that issue them and the relatively small number of shares in the marketplace. While some penny stocks may produce big returns over the long term, many turn out to be worthless.

Institutional investors tend to avoid penny stocks, and brokerage firms typically warn individual investors of the risks involved before handling transactions in these stocks.

However, penny stocks are sometimes marketed aggressively to unsuspecting investors.