The only time i have seen "penny stocks" brought up is when..
Profiteers are trying to legitimize trading digital garbage for profits
..and trying to make it come off as legit and acceptable.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/pennystock.aspDoes this sound familiar ?
What Makes Penny Stocks So Risky?
Four major factors make these securities riskier than blue chip stocks.
1. Lack of Information Available to the Public
The key to any successful investment strategy is acquiring enough tangible information to make informed decisions. For micro-cap stocks, information is much more difficult to find. Companies listed on the pink sheets are not required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are thus not as publicly scrutinized or regulated as the stocks represented on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. Furthermore, much of the information available about micro-cap stocks is not from credible sources.
2. No Minimum Standards
Stocks on the OTCBB and pink sheets do not have to fulfill minimum standard requirements to remain on the exchange. Sometimes, this is why the stock is on one of these exchanges. Once a company can no longer maintain its position on one of the major exchanges, the company moves to one of these smaller exchanges. While the OTCBB does require companies to file timely documents with the SEC, the pink sheets have no such requirement. Minimum standards act as a safety cushion for some investors and as a benchmark for some companies.
3. Lack of History
Many of the companies considered to be micro-cap stocks are either newly formed or approaching bankruptcy. These companies will generally have poor track records or none at all. As you can imagine, this lack of historical information makes it difficult to determine a stock's potential.
4. Liquidity
When stocks don't have much liquidity, two problems arise: first, there is the possibility that you won't be able to sell the stock. If there is a low level of liquidity, it may be hard to find a buyer for a particular stock, and you may be required to lower your price until it is considered attractive to another buyer. Second, low liquidity levels provide opportunities for some traders to manipulate stock prices, which is done in many different ways—the easiest is to buy large amounts of stock, hype it up and then sell it after other investors find it attractive (also known as pump and dump).
How is a Penny Stock Created?
A penny stock, like any other publicly traded stock, is created through a process called an initial public offering, or IPO. First, a company must file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission or file stating the offering qualifies for an exemption from registration. It must also check state securities laws in the locations it plans to sell the stock. Then, upon approval, the company may begin the process of soliciting orders from investors. Finally, the company can apply to have the stock listed on an exchange, or it can trade on the over-the-counter market, or OTC.
Small companies and start-ups typically issue stock as a means of raising capital to grow the business. Though the process is lengthy, involves mountains of paperwork and can be quite costly, issuing stock is often one of the most efficient ways for a start-up company to obtain necessary capital. Penny stocks are often the result of such ventures and can make for profitable but precarious plays for investors.
As with other new offerings, the first step is hiring an underwriter, usually an attorney or investment bank specializing in securities offerings. The company's offering either needs to be registered with the SEC according to Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933 or file under Regulation D if exempt. If the company is required to register, Form 1-A, which is the registration statement, must be filed with the SEC and is accompanied by the company's financial statements and proposed sales materials. These financial statements need to remain available to the public for review, and timely reports must be filed with the SEC to maintain the public offering. Once approved by the SEC, orders for shares may be solicited from the public by accompanying sales materials and disclosures, such as a prospectus.
After initial orders are collected and stock is sold to investors, a registered offering can begin trading in the secondary market via listing on an exchange like NYSE or Nasdaq or trade over-the-counter. Many penny stocks end up trading in OTC markets due to the strict requirements for listing on the bigger exchanges. The majority of penny stocks do not meet such requirements, and the companies cannot typically afford the hefty cost and regulations involved. Sometimes companies make an additional secondary market offering after the IPO. This dilutes the existing shares but gives the company access to more investors and increased capital. It is important that companies issuing penny stock keep this in mind and work to gain value in the shares as they trade in the open market. Furthermore, it is mandatory that the companies continue to publicly provide updated financial statements to keep investors informed and maintain the ability for quoting on the over-the-counter bulletin board, or OTCBB.
The SEC's Rules for Penny Stocks
Penny stocks are considered highly speculative investments. In order to protect the investor’s interest, the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) have specific rules to regulate the sale of penny stocks. All broker-dealers need to comply with the requirements of Section 15(h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the accompanying rules to be eligible to effect any transactions in penny stocks.
(1) Sales Practice Requirements §240.15g-9
Before effecting any transaction, a broker-dealer must approve the investor's transaction (of specific penny stocks); meanwhile, the customer must give a written agreement to the broker-dealer for the same transaction. This measure has been taken to prevent manipulative, fraudulent practices in such investments. “Approving” the customer basically means checking his suitability for such investments. Approval should be given only after the broker-dealer has assessed the customer's investment experience and objectives along with his or her financial position.
(2) Disclosure Document §240.15g-2
A broker-dealer must provide a standardized disclosure document to the customer. The documents explain the risk factor associated with investing in penny stocks, concepts related to the penny-stock market, customer rights, broker-dealers' duties towards the customers, remedies in case of fraud and other important information which can be handy for an investor. The investor would be well-advised to go through this document so as to take informed decisions.
(3) Bid-Offer Quotations Disclosure §240.15g-3
It is mandatory for a broker-dealer to disclose and later confirm the current quotation prices and related information to the customer before effecting a transaction. If a broker-dealer doesn’t follow the same, it is considered unlawful. This helps the investor to keep a track of the price movement in the marketplace.
(4) Compensation Disclosure §240.15g-4
This rule makes the investor aware of the money being earned by the broker-dealer from a certain transaction. This can help the customer to judge if the broker-dealer has a selfish motive in trying to push a certain transaction.
(5) Monthly Accounts Statements §240.15g-6
A broker-dealer must send to its clients a monthly account statement which discloses details such as: the number and identity of each penny stock in the customer’s account; the dates of transaction; purchase price; and the estimated market value of the security (based on recent bids and purchase prices). Such statements must also explain the limited market for the securities and the nature of an estimated price in such a limited market. In cases where there have been no transactions effected in the customer’s account for a period of six months, the broker-dealer shall not be required to provide monthly statements. However, broker-dealers should send written statements on a quarterly basis.