Stocks that are low right now to buy

After tumbling sharply in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, stocks posted a remarkable turnaround, rallying hard through 2020 and all the way until the end of 2021, albeit with a few hiccups. The specter of rising inflation and interest rates began to take their toll in early 2022, however, with the market as a whole, and high-multiple stocks in particular, selling off sharply in January and remaining volatile in the fourth quarter.

Read More: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000

The U.S. officially entered a bear market on June 13, when, as CNBC reported, the S&P 500 closed over 21% below January’s all-time record high. While no one can predict how long the bear market will last, one thing is certain: In this economic environment, with shares falling and inflation on the rise, some investors will shy away from high-flying, high-dollar stocks and look instead toward lower-priced stocks.

Some of the companies listed below haven’t yet made their mark, but you should be sure to talk with your financial advisor before diving in. Some low-priced stocks may have yet to move, but others trade in the single digits due to poor or uncertain operating histories. As with any investment, make sure that the names you pick are in line with your investment objectives and risk tolerance before you make any moves.

Which Are the Cheapest and Best Stocks To Buy Today?

Here are 27 low-priced stocks with the potential to grow.

What Factors Affect Returns?

With any investment, there is a degree of risk as well as return. When deciding which cheap stocks to buy, here are key factors to keep in mind: P/E ratio, price-to-book value, cash flow and earnings reports.

Read more about how each of these factors works when it comes to low-priced stocks.

P/E Ratio

To calculate a P/E ratio, simply take a company’s stock price and divide it by the company’s net earnings. In a general sense, stocks with a high P/E are considered expensive, and those with a lower P/E are considered cheap.

Price-to-Book Value

Book value is essentially a company’s net worth, as it equals a company’s assets minus its liabilities. Theoretically, if you had to liquidate a company, the company’s book value would be what remains. Stocks trading below book value could be good cheap stocks.

Cash Flow

Net cash flows, cash from operations and free cash flow are just a few of the cash flow metrics used to analyze a company’s value. A company with a low price relative to cash-flow measures is less expensive than one with a higher ratio.

Earnings Reports

Earnings reports offer a wealth of information on companies, including their profits and losses. They also note whether a company performed as expected for a given period. Digging into past earnings reports can help you anticipate future performance and decide whether cheap dividend stocks are a good buy.

Is There a Downside To Investing in Cheap Stocks?

There’s no such thing as a crystal ball on Wall Street. Even stocks that appear undervalued with high growth prospects might not go up in value for any number of reasons.

Some companies simply fail to live up to projections. And others are destined to remain undervalued for years, simply due to investor sentiment.

Potential for Loss

While your investment in cheap stocks is limited, there is the potential for loss. As with any investment, the best approach is diversification. Don’t put all your funds into one stock. Spread out your risk by investing in a variety of stocks and other investment vehicles like mutual funds.

Choosing the Top Brokers for Cheap Stocks

Here are the best brokers when it comes to cheap stocks:

• Charles Schwab: This brokerage offers both personalized advice and online access for purchasing stocks on your own, with $0 commission on stocks and many ETFs and mutual funds.
• Merrill Edge: Merrill Edge offers $0 commission online trades and tools to help you manage your portfolio and decide what stocks to buy.
• E-Trade: This company has an excellent mobile app and $0 commission trades.
• Fidelity: Fidelity offers a high level of service with zero-commission trading, zero-fee ETFs and no account minimums.
• TD Ameritrade: TD Ameritrade offers multiple trading platforms to help you make informed investment decisions, along with $0 commissions on most equity and ETF trades.

Choose a user-friendly platform with low or no fees and excellent customer service. Research your stock choices and buy when you’re ready.

FAQs on Buying Cheap Stocks

• What are the best smalls stocks to buy now?
  • Some of the small-cap stocks to watch right now are Ebix (EBIX), Dycom Industries (DY) and First Bancorp (FBNC), to name a few. Small-cap stocks are used to refer to small capitalization, which means the company has a market cap between $300 and $2 million.
• What is the best stock to buy in 2022?
  • 2022 has certainly seen its ups and downs in the stock market. Here are some stocks to keep on your radar right now: Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL), Visa Inc. (V) and EOG Resources Inc. (EOG).
• Which is the best stock to buy today?
  • Think about stocks that have both long-term and short-term potential to grow. Companies that have shown strong leadership, ability to grow and sustain their sales, as well as maintain an active customer or audience base are some of the factors you might consider as an investor. Think about companies such as Lithia Motors Inc. (LAD), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A), Herc Holdings Inc. (HRI) and Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM) as examples.
• What stocks are undervalued right now?
  • Some of the best value stocks right now include M&T Bank (MTB), Rent-a-Center (RAC) and CVS (CVS). Read this guide on undervalued stocks to learn more.
• What are the best stocks under $1?
  • Stocks that cost less than $1 don't carry the risk to investors if the price falls drastically. Look at stocks such as iBio, Inc. (IBIO), Westmoreland Coal Company WLB) and Parker Drilling Company (PKD), companies that are in the biotech, technology and pharmaceutical industries. You might wish to consider penny stocks such as Pitney Bowes (PBI) and Ring Energy Inc (REI) to name a few.
• Can you invest in stocks with $10?
  • Yes, you can invest in stocks with $10 or even less. You might want to look into some of the cheap stocks in this guide as a start, such as Alto Ingredients Inc. (ALTO), Oxford Lane Capital Corp. (OXLC) and Vector Group (VGR), including several more on the list with share prices less than $10.

Daria Uhlig and Melanie Grafil contributed to the reporting for this article.

Data is accurate as of Oct. 20, 2022, and is subject to change.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.

This article has been updated with additional reporting since its original publication. 

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 27 Best Cheap Stocks To Buy Now

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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