Penny stock investing offers investors wonderful opportunities to buy into companies in their early stage, and at their cheapest price point.
Defined loosely by the Securities and Exchange Commission as any stock that trades for less than $5 per share, penny stocks tend to trade on smaller exchanges like the Neo Exchange or the Over the Counter Bulletin Board, where they are not required to disclose as much information compared to the larger stock exchanges like the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange.
As such penny stocks are considered high-risk investments because they lack a proven track record, and are more volatile than common stocks.
Since there is less liquidity with these assets, meaning lower than average trading volumes, the price of a penny stock can fluctuate violently in a given period.
With so much extra risk involved, Fidelity, and similar brokerages, require its customers to acknowledge their understanding of the specific risks associated with penny stock investing, before they may begin trading.
In this article, we breakdown:
- What is Fidelity Investment;
- Does Fidelity do penny stocks;
- Is Fidelity good for penny stocks;
- What to consider when buying Fidelity Investments’ penny stocks;
- And how to buy penny stocks on Fidelity
For a deeper understanding of penny stocks and small businesses in general, check out this article: What is a Small-Cap Stock?
What is Fidelity Investment
Established in 1946, Fidelity Investments began as a mutual fund with only $3 million in assets under management.
Now a massive financial services firm, amassing a total customer asset base of $6.5 trillion, Fidelity offers its over 40 million customers a range of services including wealth management, life insurance, retirement services, securities execution, and more.
With such a large variety of high-quality services and investment vehicles, Fidelity Investments ranks first among trading platforms in 2022 by StockBrokers.com and is currently the sixth largest mutual fund, by assets under management, according to Statista.
From a brokerage standpoint, Fidelity offers its consumers commission-free trading, no minimum deposit requirements, and fractional trading for those looking to invest in expensive stocks, but might not have enough capital to do so.
In addition, Fidelity has one of the most elaborate, yet simple, stock researching tools available on the market.
Whether you are looking to day trade or invest for the long run, there are a variety of investment tools available including analyst insights, market commentary, stock chart indicators, and more.
If you are someone looking for a brokerage platform with all of the bells and whistles and is valuable for both experienced and beginner traders, consider opening an account with Fidelity Investments.
Does Fidelity do penny stocks?
Yes, Fidelity does allow penny stock trading through their brokerage accounts.
However, before you can begin buying penny stocks on Fidelity, you must first agree to the risks and disclosures inherent with these riskier assets.
To do so, simply head to the Fidelity website, log in to your brokerage account, and read through/ sign off on the penny stock trading agreement.
This is a one-time process, and once completed, you will now have full access to all of the penny stocks available at Fidelity.
It is important to note that while Fidelity does not charge a commission fee for most assets and all US equities, they may charge you a $50 foreign settlement fee, per trade, for stocks that are not DTC eligible.
For those wondering the advantages between investing in smaller businesses verses large companies, check out our article on What is Small Cap vs. Large Cap
Is Fidelity good for penny stocks?
Fidelity is one of, if not, the best online brokerage platforms available on the market today when it comes to trading penny stocks.
With zero commission-free trading on penny stocks, this is extremely advantageous for investors because not many brokerages are following suit.
As such, you as an investor keep your costs to a minimum when making investment decisions, and acquire more bang for your buck when choosing to cash out on your gains.
While most brokerages do follow a similar policy for larger stocks these days, many of the most reputable brokers add additional fees, up to $6.95, because of the risk involved when making these investments.
But if you are an investor intending to seriously trade penny stocks, then minimizing your costs is huge in the long run, so it only makes sense to use a brokerage, like Fidelity, that enables you to do so.
Here is what some of the top brokerages charge on penny stocks, according to StockBrokers.com:
- Fidelity: $0 per trade.
- TD Ameritrade: $6.95 per OTCBB trade.
- Charles Schwab: $6.95 per OTCBB trade.
- TradeStation: $0 per trade (up to 10,000 shares)
- Interactive Brokers: $0.0035 per share
Where Fidelity might fall short in comparison to some brokerages is the number of OTC penny stocks you can trade.
While Fidelity offers investors 940 OTC equities, brokerages like TD Ameritrade and Firstade offer over 10,000 and over 15,000 OTC stocks respectively, according to Brokerage-Review.com.
That being said, fewer stocks available for trade is not necessarily a bad thing because it ultimately depends on the company you are looking to invest in.
All-in-all, Fidelity is one of, if not the best online brokerage platforms for buying and selling penny stocks.
What to consider when buying Fidelity Investments’ penny stocks
Before setting up your brokerage account with Fidelity, there are a few things you should consider.
While zero commission fee trading is certainly advantageous, it is important to evaluate all factors at play when selecting a brokerage.
Here are some questions you should ask yourself when conducting your due diligence:
- What am I trying to accomplish with my investments: growing or preserving wealth?
- How often will I be trading: daily, monthly, or yearly?
- What kind of assets am I wanting to invest in?
- What is my investment horizon: 3 months or 20 years?
- Am I seeking guidance from a professional when it comes to investment decisions?
- What kind of account am I looking to open: TFSA, RRSP, IRA?
- What are the Account minimums?
- What are the brokerages’ fees and charges?
- What kind of investment research tools do they offer?
- How is their customer service?
After asking yourself these questions and any more you might be wondering, you should have a clearer understanding of which brokerage is the best fit for your needs.
And now, it is finally time to learn how to buy penny stocks with Fidelity.
If you are looking to improve your odds when investing in penny stocks, check out this article: How to Make Money with Penny Stocks
How to buy penny stocks on Fidelity
So you have finally reached the decision that Fidelity Investments is the best fit for you, and it is time to start trading on your new brokerage account.
Without further adieu, here is the Five Step process for learning how to buy penny stocks on Fidelity.
As a reminder, Fidelity requires all of its clients to read through and acknowledge the penny stock trading agreement before they may begin trading penny stocks.
When buying a penny stock on Fidelity, you can do so using their website, mobile app, or Active Trader Pro, the firm’s advanced trading platform.
1. Once you decide on a penny stock, find it using the search bar.
If you are looking for new ideas, you can also use Fidelity’s stock screening tool and set the maximum stock price to $5 or less, so that you are only viewing penny stocks.
2. Then, click on the stocks profile page and click the trade button.
3. Set the Action to “Buy”, and enter the number of shares you want to purchase using the Quantity window.
4. Next, determine whether you would like to execute a market or limit order.
A market order executes the trade at whatever price is available when the transaction is made. We strongly advise against a market order for penny stock trading, because due to the limited liquidity, the difference between the bid and ask price can be significant, leaving you buying or selling a stock at a far higher or lower price than you expected.
A limit order executes the trade only if it is at or below the desired price point; the trade will not be executed if the price fails to fall below the Limit Price. A limit order protects an investor from the risks associated with placing a market order, while also offering investors the chance to place a low bid on thinly traded equities, in the hopes of benefiting from a flash crash.
Note, there is a “Time in Force” menu whereby you can decide how long you are willing to wait for the order to be filled, with the maximum time being 180 days.
5. Lastly, click the Preview Order button to verify all of the information is correct, and finally place the order when you are satisfied.
Congratulations, you are now the proud owner of a new penny stock.
For more information on trading penny stocks in general and some alternatives to finding new investment ideas, check out our article: How to Buy Penny Stocks: a Beginners Guide