Why do people invest in penny stocks if they are so risky? The answer lies in a few facts as well as a few misconceptions about penny stocks.  First let us look at the positive side of how penny stocks can be more profitable.

It is a well-known fact in finance that risk and return have a positive correlation. This means that an investment that carries greater risk will also give higher returns. The reason for this is very easy to understand and is almost intuitive. Suppose you had $10,000 to invest and two options A and B. Option A is a secure government bond that gives you 5% return, while option B is a higher risk investment in a company that will pay you only if it makes profits. Assume that this company has a history of making 5% Profits over several years and is likely to continue on the same lines.

That is, you can expect to get a return of 5% in future years, but that is subject to the company making the same level of profits. Where would you invest your money? If the returns are likely to be the same and if you are a sane person, you would obviously invest in the risk free option. Now suppose, option B were to pay you not 5% but 15% consistently, you might be tempted to put your money in it. In other words, a higher return can make you to invest in a riskier venture.

Since penny stocks are higher risk alternatives compared to regular stocks, the only way they can attract investment is by holding out a promise of higher return. How would a penny stock offer a higher return? This will be done not directly by the stock or the company, but by market forces. The market price of a stock is fixed on the basis of a few factors such as its intrinsic value and the return yielded by it. The market price of a stock divided by the return it gives is known as the price-earnings ratio.

For example, if $10 stocks were to be traded in the market at $20, and the company earns a net income per share of $1, the price-earnings ratio is 20. The price-earnings ratio will be higher for solid stocks that are known to be backed up by good management, have a history of consistent and good performance, and are perceived to be stable. The price-earnings ratio for stocks that are riskier, unknown and do not enjoy a positive perception will be much lower. This means that as against the example of price-earnings ratio of 20 that we assumed for a stable and well-known stock, a penny stock may have a much lower price-earnings ratio, say 3 or 4. Actual figures will depend on a number of other factors also.

Because of this, a penny stock will be priced lower for the same level of net income, and will therefore yield a higher return on the investment.

Penny stocks- an introduction:  If you are well aware about penny stocks and want to invest some money in penny stocks, you will be interested to know how to pick penny stocks. You will find a list of many stocks being traded at the website of pink sheets and will be interested to invest in some of the future Microsoft or Wal-Mart. This may happen only if the investor picks a right penny stock otherwise he or she may lose the amount.

Limited information for penny stocks: It is really very difficult to find information on penny stocks, as there are reliable sources with us. First of all the information provided by the company may not be the correct one and suppose if the information provided is correct, it may not be relevant.

For penny stocks we are not sure how to find information about the companies offering penny stocks. These companies have to provide a very little information to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and get easily listed at pink sheets. These companies are therefore not regulated by SEC, as is the case with companies listed at NASDAQ or NYSE. Furthermore the history of the companies listed at penny stocks is not available. The companies may be bankrupt or new having no experience of business and thus can be highly risky. A new investor should therefore carry out the research about the companies before putting their hard earned money into the market.

The next restriction on penny stocks is the limited liquidity. Sometimes it is difficult to sell the stock, as you may not find the buyer for it. Having very low liquidity, you may have to sell the stock at hefty discount causing you a heavy loss. Sometimes the brokers manipulate the penny stocks in various ways and may cause you sever loss so until and unless you do not understand the basics of stock market avoid investing large amount in penny stocks.

Chances of fraud: As the companies offering penny stocks are not scrutinized or regulated by government agencies or The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), penny stocks are more prone to fraud. Most of the times the companies spread rumors about their financial performance and other related issues and mislead the investors. Many times these companies take the help of media such as newspapers, radio or email and hype about the penny stocks offered by them. You may get several emails (spam) from their agents as well. These companies also pay for some financial consult for recommending their penny stocks to the investors.

Picking the right penny stock: Although the market of penny stock is highly risky, there are good companies also at OTCBB and pink sheets. The actual understanding is needed to identify the good penny stock and a lot of research is needed before putting money in penny stocks.

Summary: Picking of a right penny stock is the key factors for earning and you should ensure yourself that you are picking the right penny stock. Sometimes a little research can help you picking a right penny stock.

Introduction to Penny stocks: Penny stocks are low priced speculative stocks and these stocks are traded in over the counter (OTC) market. As per SEC (The Securities and Exchange Commission of United States) the maximum price of the penny stocks is fixed at $5.0 per share and in actual the price of these stocks are well below and sometimes a mare one cent. Although the penny stocks are commonly traded in the over the counter market, however these can also be traded at NYSE or NASDAQ.

How to start trading penny stocks: Although it is a common belief that the penny stocks are risky but at the same time as the share prices are generally low, the risk associated with penny stocks is also minimum. Many people see investing in penny stocks as an opportunity to learn share-trading techniques and at the same time not all penny stocks are risky. Although the investment in penny stocks may not substantially improve your financial condition, but the selected penny stocks may give you some profit.

If you have made your mind to invest a small amount of money in penny stocks, you will have to approach a trader or dealer for getting started. As per SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission of United States) guidelines you have to give a written request to the broker and after approval you may buy the stock from the broker. You should consult the trader and should invest carefully. Your broker will tell you the rate of the stock and brokerage.

Before investing in penny stocks contact to the Securities division of your state and get information about the broker. The history of broker provides important information about the license and disciplinary actions taken against the broker.

Once you have decided to deal with a broker, get all the information regarding the penny stocks, brokerage and other terms and conditions in writing from the broker. You should also keep the records of all the written documents provided to you by your broker. You should ask your broker to provide you the written documents mentioning the recommendation for buying or selling of any penny stocks. You should also take an independent opinion about the penny stocks from another broker and decide judiciously before making any investment. Your broker should also provide you a monthly statement mentioning the penny stocks held by you in your account and the rates of the penny stocks.

SIPC Coverage: Brokerage firms dealing in penny stocks will generally have SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) coverage. If the brokerage firm is unable to pay you your dues due to bankruptcy, the SIPC ensures that the customer owned penny stocks held by the brokerage firms are paid. SIPC insures the entire customer owned securities held by the brokerage firm, however in case of fraud, the insurer is not liable to pay the amount.

Summary:  Although investment in penny stocks is not quick rich type of schemes but the investment in penny stocks may provide an opportunity to learn trading. You should take at least a second opinion about the specific company before investing in a penny stock.