How To Buy Penny Stocks Online
The StockBrokers.com best online brokers 2023 review, our 13th annual, took three months to complete and produced over 40,000 words of research. Here's how we tested. Our editorial content is independent and unbiased; here's how we make money.
how to buy penny stocks online
When using TradeStation for trading OTC penny stocks, the cost under the TS Select and TS Go pricing plans is $0 per trade up to 10,000 shares ($0.005 per share thereafter). TradeStation ranked among Best in Class in our Commissions and Fees and Investment Options categories for 2023. Read full review
Despite charging $6.95 for penny stock trades (regular stock trades are $0), TD Ameritrade offers a comprehensive selection of trading tools through the thinkorswim trading platform. While not our top pick for trading penny stocks, TD Ameritrade took our annual award for best trader app and placed second overall among top brokers. Read full review
In addition to our top five trading platforms for penny stock trading in 2023, we reviewed 12 others: Ally Invest, Charles Schwab, eToro, Interactive Brokers, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, Merrill Edge, SoFi Invest , Tradier, Robinhood, tastytrade, Vanguard and Webull.
To dive deeper, read our full reviews.What are penny stocks?Definitions of penny stocks vary. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, "penny stock" generally refers to a security issued by a very small company (i.e., micro-cap) that trades at less than $5 per share. The most common penny stocks are companies that trade for pennies per share (less than $1). We think of penny stocks as microcap companies with prices under $5 that only trade over the counter.
As an example of the risks involved, penny stocks are often targeted for so-called pump and dump schemes. Promoters of such schemes will lure in investors with the goal of "pumping" up the share price, before dumping their own shares at the expense of the investors, often causing substantial losses.
Companies that trade over-the-counter (OTC) are not as closely regulated as exchange-listed stocks and are subject to less stringent disclosure requirements. OTC companies do not have to meet the same level of disclosure with specific compliance and reporting requirements as companies that trade on the NASDAQ or NYSE exchanges. As a result, OTC stocks are difficult to research, making them risky investments. They are also usually less liquid, making them difficult to trade and subject to market manipulation.
Most retail investors have a better chance of making money with higher-quality stocks that have a larger capitalization than penny stocks. For example, buying and holding a low-cost index fund over the long term is a safer investment than putting the same amount in a handful of penny stocks over a five- or 10-year period. Generally, investing in penny stocks is best avoided unless you have experience with angel investing and researching startups.
Yes, penny stocks are hard to trade, as they are volatile and illiquid, which can have a negative impact on the bid-ask spreads and your ability to get into and out of your positions. Penny stocks are also hard to research, which further compounds the difficulties of making money trading them.
The cost of trading penny stocks depends on the online broker you use. If you use a broker that offers flat-fee trades instead of per-share rates, trading penny stocks is not expensive. We also recommend avoiding brokers that charge a monthly platform fee, data fees, or monthly minimums, as those costs quickly add up.
Example 2 (per share): Interactive Brokers charges $.0035 per share with a max cost of 0.5% of the trade value. You buy 20,000 shares of penny stock XYZ at a price of $.13 per share ($2,600). 20,000 shares x $.0035 per share is $70, while $2,600 x .5% is $13. Thus, your cost to buy the shares is $13 (0.5% of trade value).
If you want to know where to buy penny stocks or just want to do some research, you can use an online stockbroker; most offer penny stock trading. The best penny stock brokers in our analysis include the following:
For additional tools to find penny stocks to trade, you can start with a penny stock screener or market mover list. For example, Yahoo Finance's Trending Tickers and Small Cap Gainers pages both list companies that have jumped in price for the day. Ideal for day trading, the best time to trade momentum stocks is after the market opens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern.
Once you find the stock symbol you want to trade and create an order, you may need to fill out a questionnaire and accept a risk disclaimer related to the increased risk that comes with trading stocks that are not listed on a primary venue, such as the NYSE or NASDAQ.
When trading penny stocks, beginners often think they are getting "more for their money" because they can buy more shares in total. This is a myth. Stocks that trade for pennies are far more risky because they trade OTC and do not meet the strict financial requirements to be listed on a major stock exchange like the NASDAQ or NYSE.
Robinhood does not support trading OTC stocks. The only penny stocks supported by Robinhood are stocks that trade on either the NASDAQ or NYSE. If a company listed on the NASDAQ or NYSE trades below $1 for a certain period of time (or fails to meet other minimum financial metrics), it can be delisted and forced to trade OTC. As a result, OTC stocks are risky.
For the StockBrokers.com 13th Annual Review published in January 2023, a total of 3,332 data points were collected over three months and used to score 17 top brokers. This makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry.
Our research team meticulously collects data on features with particular importance to penny stock traders, such as trading costs, availability of flat-fee trades, ease of platform and app use, and resources for researching a stock. In total, we evaluate nearly 200 variables for each broker.
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.
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Online brokerages have a lot in common, so try out a few before deciding which one you'll stick with. Try to find a brokerage that charges as few fees as possible. Since penny stock trading is often short-term, you don't want commission fees to eat into each of your trades."}},"@type": "Question","name": "How much money do you need to start day trading penny stocks?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Penny stocks are subject to all the same trading rules as regular stocks. That means, to regularly day trade, you need at least $25,000 in your account. Otherwise, you're limited to three day trades per week."]}]}] .cls-1fill:#999.cls-6fill:#6d6e71 Skip to contentThe BalanceSearchSearchPlease fill out this field.SearchSearchPlease fill out this field.BudgetingBudgeting Budgeting Calculator Financial Planning Managing Your Debt Best Budgeting Apps View All InvestingInvesting Find an Advisor Stocks Retirement Planning Cryptocurrency Best Online Stock Brokers Best Investment Apps View All MortgagesMortgages Homeowner Guide First-Time Homebuyers Home Financing Managing Your Loan Mortgage Refinancing Using Your Home Equity Today's Mortgage Rates View All EconomicsEconomics US Economy Economic Terms Unemployment Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy View All BankingBanking Banking Basics Compound Interest Calculator Best Savings Account Interest Rates Best CD Rates Best Banks for Checking Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Auto Loan Rates View All Small BusinessSmall Business Entrepreneurship Business Banking Business Financing Business Taxes Business Tools Becoming an Owner Operations & Success View All Career PlanningCareer Planning Finding a Job Getting a Raise Work Benefits Top Jobs Cover Letters Resumes View All MoreMore Credit Cards Insurance Taxes Credit Reports & Scores Loans Personal Stories About UsAbout Us The Balance Financial Review Board Diversity & Inclusion Pledge View All Follow Us
Budgeting Budgeting Calculator Financial Planning Managing Your Debt Best Budgeting Apps Investing Find an Advisor Stocks Retirement Planning Cryptocurrency Best Online Stock Brokers Best Investment Apps Mortgages Homeowner Guide First-Time Homebuyers Home Financing Managing Your Loan Mortgage Refinancing Using Your Home Equity Today's Mortgage Rates Economics US Economy Economic Terms Unemployment Fiscal Policy Monetary Policy Banking Banking Basics Compound Interest Calculator Best Savings Account Interest Rates Best CD Rates Best Banks for Checking Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Auto Loan Rates Small Business Entrepreneurship Business Banking Business Financing Business Taxes Business Tools Becoming an Owner Operations & Success Career Planning Finding a Job Getting a Raise Work Benefits Top Jobs Cover Letters Resumes More Credit Cards Insurance Taxes Credit Reports & Scores Loans Financial Terms Dictionary About Us The Balance Financial Review Board Diversity & Inclusion Pledge InvestingAssets & MarketsStocksBeginner's Guide to Trading Penny StocksYou Can Be Successful With Trading Penny StocksByPeter Leeds Peter LeedsPeter Leeds is an expert on investing in stocks, and has over a decade of experience working with financial planning, derivatives, equities, fixed income, project management, and analytics. He is the author of several books including "Penny Stocks for Dummies." He publishes the financial newsletter, "Peter Leeds Stock Picks" and has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox, CNN, and several dozen other outlets.learn about our editorial policiesUpdated on January 24, 2022Reviewed byMichael J Boyle Reviewed byMichael J BoyleMichael Boyle is an experienced financial professional with more than 10 years working with financial planning, derivatives, equities, fixed income, project management, and analytics.learn about our financial review boardIn This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleRisk Money and Honest GuidesHeavy Metal Lottery TicketsStart by Paper TradingDecide Which Types of Companies You Will Focus OnYour PassionOur Human NatureHow Will You Generate Prospective Investments?Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: Luis Alvarez / Getty Images 041b061a72