(Stock photo.)
Everyone likes a bargain. Also known as “penny stocks”, shares that cost $5 or less come with the motto “high risk, high reward”, but given some decent research, they could also add a little more value to your portfolio. Here are five companies trading on several exchanges that are both relatively “cheap”, trading under $5 a share, but also show some promise in one way or another, given past performance.
IMV Inc. (TSX: IMV , $4.57) - Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, IMV is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that is pioneering a novel class of immunotherapies called DPX-Survivac, which it believes could generate solid tumour regressions. After entering into a research collaboration with The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, IMV reported preliminary data from its Phase 2 study in multiple solid tumours, showing positive results from treatment. IMV is well funded, reporting cash and cash equivalents of $21.4 million (CAD) and working capital of $21.2 million last December, compared with $14.9 million and $12.2 million, respectively back in December 31, 2018.
Quisitive Technology Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: QUIS, $0.48) - This digital technology consulting company helps enterprise organizations work in the Microsoft cloud. QUIS specializes in transformative technologies, strategy and management consulting, as well as software development, digital transformation, cloud and data analytics.
Shares took a bump in November 2019 after the company announced that its Q3 2019 revenue saw 65% growth to more than $5 million (CAD) and its climb never looked back.
(Quis Stock chart. Sept 19 - Feb 20.)
LOOP Insights Inc. (TSX-V: MTRX, $0.15) - A Vancouver-based tech company that appears to be trending in the opposite direction of Quisitive, but that may open the door to opportunities for investors. The company recently announced that it entered into a share for debt arrangement, but is also advancing its business after the recent debut of its new “Tap to Engage” product, along with ID TECH at the National Retail Federation's Retail Show.
As a means to bridge the gap between digital and physical landscapes, the plug and play system that LOOP has developed integrates existing infrastructure to personalize the shopping experience online and in the real world. As online retail continues to pose a threat to traditional “brick and mortar” stores, LOOP has developed an AI marketing platform that aims to “level the playing field” by giving retailers and brands a platform to make real-time, data-driven decisions and Loop enables them to curate unique personalized customer experiences in stores, a capability which previously did not exist.
Finjan Holdings (NASDAQ: FNJN, $1.76) - Cybersecurity is becoming more and more popular as online threats of digital attacks and cybercrime gain more media attention. FNJN develops mobile applications to defend against spies, phishing, and malware. Mainly focusing on three business lines, this company is actively engaged in:
-
Intellectual property licensing and enforcement
-
Developing mobile security applications
-
Investing in cybersecurity technologies and intellectual property
Finjan began the year with news that it had entered into a patent license and settlement agreement with BitDefender which could prove to streamline its business going forward.
MoSys Inc. (NASDAQ: MOSY, $2.23) - A provider of semiconductor solutions for fast, intelligent data access for cloud networking, security, test and video systems, MOSY is focused on the development and sale of integrated circuits (ICs) for the high-speed networking, communications, storage, and computing markets.This California-based tech company released a new design support package in January 2020, with pre-configured firmware and register sets for its LineSpeed Flex family of 100G PHY (physical layers) products. MoSys boasts a product portfolio of Programmable Search Engine, Bandwidth Engine ICs, LineSpeed 100G PHY and support tools.
As you may have noticed, the medical and tech markets are full of emerging businesses, from startup to well established, that offer unique services with relatively low market prices.
Are there any penny stocks that have provided a success story to your portfolio? Let us know in the comments below.