“The best way to avoid penny stock scams is to do independent research.”
This article underscores the importance of researching penny stocks before investing. Too often, the lure of “big” profits encourages people to invest without researching penny stocks. Simply put, they don’t do their homework.
According to this article, a good place to obtain research information about penny stocks is the Security and Exchange Commission website (www.sec.gov). By examining a company’s 10-K annual report, 10-Q quarterly report, and Form 8-K filings, in which companies report material events.
The article also warns investors about email promotions about penny stocks that are more hype than reality. For example, Paul Allen, a 65-year old retiree from Boston, received a flood of emails about a company called Vapor Hub International suggesting that shares of the e-cigarette company were about to take off. He invested and quickly lost 80 percent of his investment. And there are many more examples where investors–especially investors with limited funds and little experience buying and selling stock–often lose all or a large portion of their investment.
For more information go to http://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T052-C008-S002-the-perils-of-penny-stocks.html
Teaching Suggestions
You may want to use the information in this blog post and the original article to
- Remind students that there is no substitute for research when picking any stock–especially penny stocks issued by small companies without a proven track record.
- Tell students to remember the old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.”
Discussion Questions
- Most investors know the risks involved when they invest in penny stocks. Still, they invest their money. Why do you think they choose penny stocks?
- Assume that you are considering an investment in Vapor Hub International. What information could be used to evaluate this penny stock? Where would you get this information?
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