Skilled S&P 500 investors know it's best to avoid penny stocks. Even so, thanks to the rise in speculation in the market, a few of these uber-risky stocks have paid off — for now.
Three stocks in the S&P 1500 or S&P Completion Indexes, including Tron, DeFi Development and Dominari, started the year trading for less than a dollar a share and are now worth $5 or more, says an Investor's Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge.
This isn't a shopping list for investors. But it is a reminder of how speculation is pouring back into the market. Investors are even bidding up shares of money-losing tech companies. And that's not even mentioning "DORK" stocks bid up in a meme-stock style rally.
A 2,111% Gain? Not In The S&P 500
Thanks to the low per-share starting point of penny stocks, they can put up huge percentage gains. And that certainly happened with DeFi Development.
Shares of the brokerage services provider shot up more than 2,100% this year to $15.34 a share. Shares of the stock started the year at just 69 cents apiece. The RS Rating not surprisingly is a perfect 99. But it's important to note shares are actually down more than 70% from their 52-week high. Analyst coverage, too, is scant. There's no 2025 profit forecast yet estimated.
The moneymaking power of the stock has been amazing, though. A $10,000 investment at the start of the year would be worth more than $220,000 now.
Tron, a maker of toys sold at theme parks, is also a penny stock gone right. Shares now trade for more than $7 a share, up more than 1,070% from where they started the year. This stock, too, carries an RS Rating of 99. Shares, though, are down 43% from their high this year. Analysts have not yet set a profit estimate for 2025.
Rounding Out The Penny Winners
Coming out third with "only" a 410% gain this year is Dominari. The company is a wealth manager and investment banker. It was a 98 cents a share stock at the start of the year.
Now it trades for nearly $14 a share, an impressive 410% gain. The stock sports an RS Rating of 96. Analysts haven't set a profit forecast for 2025. But investors in the stock are sitting on a huge profit. A $10,000 investment in January is worth more than $50,000 now.
Big Penny Stock Winners This Year
In S&P 1500 and Completion Indexes
| Company | Ticker | Dec. 31, 2024 | Aug. 4,2025 | YTD % ch. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeFi Development | DFDV | $0.69357 | $15.34 | 2,111.7% |
| Tron | TRON | 0.629 | 7.365 | 1,070.9% |
| Dominari Holdings | DOMH | 0.9844 | 5.02 | 410.0% |
