Day Trading Guide

Top Day Trading Penny Stocks: Best and Most Active

Written content updated 03/31/2025. Scanners are on a 15-minute delay from real-time market data.

Scanner of Most Active Penny Stocks

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Day Trading Penny Stocks

Trading penny stocks is all about momentum. These low-priced stocks can move fast, sometimes gaining hundreds of percentage points in a single day. While the rewards can be high, the risks are just as steep.

One week, in particular, served as a reminder of just how crucial it is to manage risk and stay disciplined. After a rough Monday that caused me a max loss, I spent the next few days digging myself out of the hole. The good news? Some incredible penny stocks helped me turn things around.

Here’s what I learned from all this action and what to watch for when trading the most active penny stocks.

What Are Penny Stocks?

Penny stocks trade under $5 per share, making them accessible to traders with smaller accounts. But their low price and high volatility make them both attractive and dangerous.

Why Do Traders Love Penn Stocks?

  • Low Cost per Share: With penny stocks, you can control a large position size.
  • Massive Volatility: These stocks can move 50-100% (or more) in a single session.
  • Quick Profits: Traders can capitalize on short-term moves within minutes.

What Are the Risks of Penny Stocks?

  • Extreme Price Swings: A stock that’s up 100% in the morning can crash by midday.
  • Liquidity Issues: Some penny stocks lack the volume for easy entries and exits.
  • High Susceptibility to News: A single announcement can send prices soaring or plummeting.

The key is identifying the right penny stocks at the right time. These are the ones that are most active with real momentum.

My Experience Trading Penny Stocks

Let’s flash back to that tumultuous week. I started Monday on the wrong foot, hitting max loss and making my situation worse by overtrading. Instead of accepting a small red day, I pushed too hard and dug myself into an even deeper hole.

Why did this happen? It all came down to poor risk management and emotional trading. I ignored the signs that I should have walked away, and instead of taking a manageable loss, I kept trading, thinking I could recover. This is one of the biggest mistakes a trader can make — letting emotions dictate decisions.

After recovering to just $500 shy of my daily goal, I took one more trade that put me back at break-even. Instead of walking away, I made an emotional decision to keep trading — within minutes, I was down another $5,000. By the afternoon, I came back thinking I could recover, but I just made things worse. That’s how Monday ended as a full-blown disaster.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I refocused. I stuck to momentum stocks and kept my trading tighter. By trading smarter, not harder, I pulled myself back into the green, locking in $20,000 in gross profit over two days.

What Makes a Penny Stock Most Active?

Not every stock is worth trading. The best ones meet specific criteria.

Now that you know the real risks of penny stocks, here’s what makes one attractive to an experienced day trader:

  • High Volume: Stocks trading 100M+ shares in a session have serious momentum.
  • News Catalysts: Earnings reports, FDA approvals, or major partnerships can spark massive moves.
  • Technical Setups: Stocks breaking out over key resistance levels also attract momentum traders.

Chart Analysis - Trading Indicators

Chart analysis depicting key trading indicators like VWAP, EMA lines, and volume on a penny stock. This snapshot illustrates I identify potential breakout points and manage risks in real-time trading scenarios.

Chart analysis depicting key trading indicators like VWAP, EMA lines, and volume on a penny stock. This snapshot illustrates I identify potential breakout points and manage risks in real-time trading scenarios.

A stock can be cheap, but if it doesn’t have volume, it’s dead money. The most active penny stocks are the ones with traders piling in, pushing liquidity and creating volatility.

What Are the Key Lessons for Penny Stocks?

Every trading session teaches something new. Here are just a few crucial lessons:

Don’t Chase Moves

Stocks that rise too fast often fall just as quickly. Waiting for pullbacks before you enter can support trading success.

Risk Management Is Everything

One bad trade can wipe out a day’s profit. My rough week was proof of that — I let emotions take over and paid the price.

Follow Volume, Not Hype

If a penny stock has no volume, it’s not worth it. The best trades come from high liquidity and strong momentum.

After Hours Can Be Wild

Some of the most significant moves happen after hours when halts no longer apply. Watching post-market volume can reveal strong setups.

Staying disciplined and trading smart is key to capitalizing on penny stocks.

How To Spot the Next Active Penny Stock

The best penny stock trades come from preparation, patience, and execution.

  • Look for stocks with breaking news (earnings, biotech approvals, and partnerships).
  • Focus on stocks with heavy pre-market volume. If it’s moving before the bell, traders are interested.
  • Watch for technical breakouts over key resistance levels.
  • Make sure you are utilizing Stock Scanners to search for increases in volume and volatility.

My bad week was a rollercoaster,  but it was also a reminder of what trading penny stocks can be like. Stay disciplined, trade smart, and always manage your risk.

Wrapping Up

Penny stocks move fast, and the best opportunities come to those who are prepared and disciplined. By focusing on high-volume stocks with strong catalysts, you can maximize your chances of success.

Want to sharpen your trading skills? Join me at Warrior Trading and learn how to move through the market like a pro!

Frequently asked questions

I have been able to make money trading penny stocks by using a strategy and a set of rules that I follow for every trade I take. Before putting real money into the market it's always essential to backtest your strategy in a paper trading simulator first. It's also important to note that because penny stocks are risky, and most novice traders are inexperienced when it comes to stock selection and risk management, most traders will lose money on them.
My scanners are scanning the markets in real time and maintaining a list at every moment of the trading day of the top 5 most active penny stocks right now. I sort the scanner by biggest percentage gainer since these are the stocks that will have the most people paying attention to them.
If you are searching for the best penny stocks under 10 cents I'd like to caution you that these will not make you rich, and these are some of the riskiest and most speculative stocks on the market. You are essentially asking about lottery tickets, and you may even have better odds playing the actual lottery. Approach with extreme caution!

I do not trade penny stocks that trade on the OTC 'over-the-counter' markets. They are riskier than stocks trading on listed exchanges and usually have less volume.

Read more on OTC Stocks

Penny stocks can carry a lot of risk for overnight holders. News can cause shares to move drastically, which can be a good or a bad thing, but rolling the dice like that is not how we recommend trading. You have zero control when the markets are closed. We recommend closing positions before the market closes and then trading them again the following morning if it still looks good.

Being caught in a halt can be scary because you don’t know where the stock will open for trading. Once the stock is halted, there is nothing you can do but wait till it opens for trading again.

Volatility halts tend to be the most common. They trigger once a stock has moved 10% within a 5-minute timeframe and the halt lasts up to 5 minutes. Knowing this you can try to plan to get out of the stock before it moves that much or if you are comfortable with your position you can hold for the halt in anticipation of a gap up when it resumes trading (this doesn’t always happen).

Read more in our Circuit Breaker Halts Guide.

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