An Interview with Zak Westphal

by Jeremy

With numerous funding automobiles obtainable at the moment, merchants are spoiled for selection. But penny shares, outlined as shares buying and selling below $5, retain a uniquely dangerous repute. However in response to Zak Westphal, CEO of StocksToTrade and veteran penny inventory dealer, their unhealthy rep is not solely deserved.

Penny shares are well-known for excessive volatility and outsized potential features—or large losses. Loosely regulated, with restricted reporting necessities, they’ll look like harmful waters for beginner traders. Nevertheless, Zak contends there are protected, sustainable methods to commerce penny shares for these with the right methods.

Intrigued to listen to from an professional tips on how to responsibly day commerce penny shares, we sat down with Zak for an interview:

What precisely is a penny inventory?

Penny shares seek advice from any shares buying and selling below $5 per share. They are usually very small firms, microcaps valued at lower than $300 million. The principle enchantment of penny shares is that their excessive volatility and low costs make them extra accessible to smaller retail merchants seeking to revenue.

After all, their decrease costs additionally imply increased danger – penny shares are susceptible to dramatic worth swings each day as a result of elements like low liquidity and fluctuating float. You may usually see penny shares spike 50% or crash 30%+ in minutes on good or unhealthy information. It is a curler coaster experience!

Whereas the volatility might be dizzying for some traders, it creates alternatives for savvy merchants. The quick motion ranges the taking part in area between Wall Avenue and Fundamental Avenue. However it’s a must to be keen to abdomen the chance and make use of good commerce administration.

The place can penny shares be traded? Are they regulated?

Penny shares sometimes commerce over-the-counter on exchanges just like the Pink Sheets or the OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). Now, neither of these exchanges have the identical SEC laws and reporting necessities that different inventory exchanges implement. That is very true with the Pink Sheets – these firms do not even must file with the SEC.

So I would strategy any pennies traded over-the-counter with excessive warning. Do your due diligence, dig into financials, learn current press releases, examine firm administration. With much less oversight comes extra danger of scams or dilution. However for those who commerce fastidiously and handle positions with self-discipline, cash can nonetheless be made even with penny shares on the “sketchier” exchanges. The bottom line is training and accountable buying and selling.

What evaluation ought to merchants apply to penny shares that will differ from massive board shares?

With penny shares, conventional elementary evaluation like P/E ratios usually doesn’t apply. These microcap firms are too small and early-stage for typical valuation metrics to hold a lot that means.

As an alternative, technical evaluation must be the precedence – examine the worth charts and momentum intently. Search for key assist and resistance ranges. Pay shut consideration to quantity and worth motion tendencies over completely different time frames. Timing entries and exits is crucial with penny shares. Their costs can swing quickly intraday on hype, information occasions, or technical triggers like cease losses being hit. Actively commerce them quite than make investments long-term.

Above all, do not forget that adaptability is vital – do not get hooked up to anyone technique. Reduce losses shortly when trades go in opposition to you. Take income quicker than you usually would. Penny shares are a unique ballgame.

In the event you have been solely allowed to have a look at 3 metrics earlier than shopping for a penny inventory, what would they be and why?

If I might solely have a look at 3 metrics earlier than shopping for a penny inventory, it could be:

  • Quantity – Excessive relative quantity signifies curiosity and permits for liquidity to get out and in of positions. Low quantity pennies can go away you caught.
  • Stage 2 Help/Resistance – The actual-time provide and demand is essential for pennies. I wish to see stable assist the place I enter and areas of resistance to take income.
  • Float – Take note of modifications within the float measurement. Promoters love benefiting from tight floats because it permits them to maneuver the worth extra simply. However because the float will increase, it will get tougher to govern. So if the float has exploded lately, be cautious of pumps.

There are different helpful metrics after all, however these three give me the perfect fast examine on liquidity, psychology, promotability, and volatility. They let me gauge if there’s sufficient curiosity and momentum in a penny inventory for an exploitable commerce. The bottom line is that in contrast to blue chips, fundamentals are secondary – it’s a must to give attention to tradability.

Volatility cuts each methods with penny shares. What danger administration methods do you utilize?

The acute volatility with penny shares can produce large features shortly, nevertheless it additionally means you’ll be able to lose your shirt simply as quick. That is why danger administration is so crucial. I all the time set cease losses on each commerce, no exceptions, to restrict potential harm if I am fallacious.

You additionally must be vigilant of pump and dump schemes making an attempt to make the most of retail merchants. I see “promoters” always pumping junk firms on social media then dumping shares as soon as it spikes. Or brief and warp merchants making an attempt to revenue from false destructive information.

I fight these dangers by sticking to excessive relative quantity penny shares with apparent technical catalysts. I strive to not commerce the story or get married to any inventory for too lengthy. Take faster income than you usually would, particularly if a inventory spikes on hype and no actual information. Assume there are ulterior motives driving costs quite than fundamentals.

Lastly, for brand new penny inventory merchants, what’s essentially the most crucial recommendation you’ll be able to supply?

My high recommendation to new penny inventory merchants is do not underestimate the worth of high quality training. The everyday “studying the arduous approach” strategy results in blowing up your account quick with penny shares. Search mentors, be taught strategic frameworks, examine historic chart examples. Paper commerce. Get immersed in profitable merchants’ processes. Good training builds good habits.

Your aim is to develop an edge – discover dependable commerce setups with guidelines managing danger. Take a look at them hundreds of occasions in all market circumstances. Solely then take them stay.

With numerous funding automobiles obtainable at the moment, merchants are spoiled for selection. But penny shares, outlined as shares buying and selling below $5, retain a uniquely dangerous repute. However in response to Zak Westphal, CEO of StocksToTrade and veteran penny inventory dealer, their unhealthy rep is not solely deserved.

Penny shares are well-known for excessive volatility and outsized potential features—or large losses. Loosely regulated, with restricted reporting necessities, they’ll look like harmful waters for beginner traders. Nevertheless, Zak contends there are protected, sustainable methods to commerce penny shares for these with the right methods.

Intrigued to listen to from an professional tips on how to responsibly day commerce penny shares, we sat down with Zak for an interview:

What precisely is a penny inventory?

Penny shares seek advice from any shares buying and selling below $5 per share. They are usually very small firms, microcaps valued at lower than $300 million. The principle enchantment of penny shares is that their excessive volatility and low costs make them extra accessible to smaller retail merchants seeking to revenue.

After all, their decrease costs additionally imply increased danger – penny shares are susceptible to dramatic worth swings each day as a result of elements like low liquidity and fluctuating float. You may usually see penny shares spike 50% or crash 30%+ in minutes on good or unhealthy information. It is a curler coaster experience!

Whereas the volatility might be dizzying for some traders, it creates alternatives for savvy merchants. The quick motion ranges the taking part in area between Wall Avenue and Fundamental Avenue. However it’s a must to be keen to abdomen the chance and make use of good commerce administration.

The place can penny shares be traded? Are they regulated?

Penny shares sometimes commerce over-the-counter on exchanges just like the Pink Sheets or the OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). Now, neither of these exchanges have the identical SEC laws and reporting necessities that different inventory exchanges implement. That is very true with the Pink Sheets – these firms do not even must file with the SEC.

So I would strategy any pennies traded over-the-counter with excessive warning. Do your due diligence, dig into financials, learn current press releases, examine firm administration. With much less oversight comes extra danger of scams or dilution. However for those who commerce fastidiously and handle positions with self-discipline, cash can nonetheless be made even with penny shares on the “sketchier” exchanges. The bottom line is training and accountable buying and selling.

What evaluation ought to merchants apply to penny shares that will differ from massive board shares?

With penny shares, conventional elementary evaluation like P/E ratios usually doesn’t apply. These microcap firms are too small and early-stage for typical valuation metrics to hold a lot that means.

As an alternative, technical evaluation must be the precedence – examine the worth charts and momentum intently. Search for key assist and resistance ranges. Pay shut consideration to quantity and worth motion tendencies over completely different time frames. Timing entries and exits is crucial with penny shares. Their costs can swing quickly intraday on hype, information occasions, or technical triggers like cease losses being hit. Actively commerce them quite than make investments long-term.

Above all, do not forget that adaptability is vital – do not get hooked up to anyone technique. Reduce losses shortly when trades go in opposition to you. Take income quicker than you usually would. Penny shares are a unique ballgame.

In the event you have been solely allowed to have a look at 3 metrics earlier than shopping for a penny inventory, what would they be and why?

If I might solely have a look at 3 metrics earlier than shopping for a penny inventory, it could be:

  • Quantity – Excessive relative quantity signifies curiosity and permits for liquidity to get out and in of positions. Low quantity pennies can go away you caught.
  • Stage 2 Help/Resistance – The actual-time provide and demand is essential for pennies. I wish to see stable assist the place I enter and areas of resistance to take income.
  • Float – Take note of modifications within the float measurement. Promoters love benefiting from tight floats because it permits them to maneuver the worth extra simply. However because the float will increase, it will get tougher to govern. So if the float has exploded lately, be cautious of pumps.

There are different helpful metrics after all, however these three give me the perfect fast examine on liquidity, psychology, promotability, and volatility. They let me gauge if there’s sufficient curiosity and momentum in a penny inventory for an exploitable commerce. The bottom line is that in contrast to blue chips, fundamentals are secondary – it’s a must to give attention to tradability.

Volatility cuts each methods with penny shares. What danger administration methods do you utilize?

The acute volatility with penny shares can produce large features shortly, nevertheless it additionally means you’ll be able to lose your shirt simply as quick. That is why danger administration is so crucial. I all the time set cease losses on each commerce, no exceptions, to restrict potential harm if I am fallacious.

You additionally must be vigilant of pump and dump schemes making an attempt to make the most of retail merchants. I see “promoters” always pumping junk firms on social media then dumping shares as soon as it spikes. Or brief and warp merchants making an attempt to revenue from false destructive information.

I fight these dangers by sticking to excessive relative quantity penny shares with apparent technical catalysts. I strive to not commerce the story or get married to any inventory for too lengthy. Take faster income than you usually would, particularly if a inventory spikes on hype and no actual information. Assume there are ulterior motives driving costs quite than fundamentals.

Lastly, for brand new penny inventory merchants, what’s essentially the most crucial recommendation you’ll be able to supply?

My high recommendation to new penny inventory merchants is do not underestimate the worth of high quality training. The everyday “studying the arduous approach” strategy results in blowing up your account quick with penny shares. Search mentors, be taught strategic frameworks, examine historic chart examples. Paper commerce. Get immersed in profitable merchants’ processes. Good training builds good habits.

Your aim is to develop an edge – discover dependable commerce setups with guidelines managing danger. Take a look at them hundreds of occasions in all market circumstances. Solely then take them stay.

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