CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing all your money. Read our full Risk Warning.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Biotech Penny Stocks: What Every Investor Should Know

Investors should have enough information to avoid the most common pitfalls before trading in biotech penny stocks.

Marcel Deer - Writer for Fortrade
By Marcel Deer
a man in a green and black checkered shirt
Edited by Petar Milenkovic

Published February 27, 2024.

a calculator, pen, and sticky note on a desk with "penny stocks" written on it

Not every investor has the funds to purchase securities from blue-chip companies. Those who want to maintain a diverse account but have limited funds could choose to trade in penny stocks. Penny stocks are low-price stocks trading for less than five dollars.

According to a report on biotechnology market size, it is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7% over the next seven years.

Note: Fortrade offers the ability to trade the price changes of biotech penny stocks with CFDs and NOT to buy/sell ownership of the stock itself. Additionally, the information in this blog is purely educational and should not be considered advice.



Understanding the Biotech Penny Stock Market

Penny stocks in the biotech sector aren’t too different from other sectors. They are offered mainly by companies with low market capitalization, which increases their potential for volatility.

Due to the low price of biotech penny stocks, small fluctuations in their price could lead to higher potential profits and losses in terms of percentage. Two of the most widely traded biotech securities today, Amgen and Biogen, started as penny stocks in their early years.

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Factors That Affect Biotech Penny Stocks

Investing in biotech penny stocks is a little different from other sectors. Traditional financial analysis will only get you so far. Investors also need to look at other factors that could indicate how a biotech penny stock will perform in the future, such as:

  1. Products, patents, and pipeline The products a biotech company has in the pipeline and the patents it currently holds indicate how it might perform in the future.
  2. Drug development trends This could relate to whether or not a biotech company is developing drugs that currently align with industry trends.
  3. Regulatory approval In most cases, the price of biotech penny stocks could rise when the company receives certification from certain regulatory bodies and vice versa.
  4. Market trends Wider market trends indicate the level of interest in stocks of a certain type, attracting more potential buyers.

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Potential Advantages & Risks

BENEFITS

  • Higher potential returns
  • First mover advantage into promising companies
  • Diversifying your account
  • Being a part of technological advancements

RISKS

  • Highly volatile
  • Lack of liquidity
  • “Pump and dump” schemes and other forms of fraud
  • Lack of available information

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Strategies For Investing in Biotech Penny Stocks

Since biotech penny stocks are highly volatile, investors should have a strategy before trading. Some things to consider before buying penny stocks are:

  1. The company’s financial health
  2. Research and upcoming trials
  3. How much information does company management share with investors, and how frequently?

It may be worthwhile to also have measures in place to protect against losses while trading, such as:

  • Setting stop-loss orders
  • Limiting position size based on share valuation
  • Diversifying your stock portfolio and investing beyond penny stocks

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Predictions For the Future

North America accounted for nearly 38% of the global biotechnology market’s total revenue last year, making it the largest regional market worldwide. By 2030, that revenue is expected to reach $ 1,683.52 billion. That growth will not be driven by large-cap companies alone. There will be many smaller success stories woven in along the way. Remember, even Amazon started as a penny stock years ago!