Top Penny Stocks This Week: Bring Home Profits When the Market Sputters

The broader markets were up and down all week, but investors who were in on this week's top penny stocks brought home gains as high as 64% in just five days.

top penny stocksThrough Friday afternoon, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up just 0.3% on the week, the S&P 500 was down 0.4%, and the Nasdaq had dipped 2.4% on the week.

That's why many investors turn to penny stocks. There is always the potential of landing a major windfall when picking up inexpensive stocks, even when the broader markets are underperforming.

Here are this week's top penny stocks and the profits they brought shareholders...

Top 5 Penny Stocks This Week

Unwired Planet Inc. (Nasdaq: UPIP) was the biggest penny stock winner this week, with a 5-day gain of 64%. By comparison, the Nasdaq dipped more than 2% in the same time frame. Unwired is an intellectual property and technology licensing company that holds 200 U.S. and foreign patents. The company currently has 75 pending patent applications. The stock soared this week when three inside investors made large purchases of UPIP shares. Last week, shares of UPIP traded near $1.30, and today the stock is worth around $2.13.

Fuwei Films Co. (Nasdaq: FFHL) develops plastic film that is used in flexible packaging, printing, laminating, and aluminum plating. Since last week, FFHL stock has gained 44%, compared to losses by the broader markets. Shares of FFHL currently trade near $1.58, and the company has a market cap of just $20.6 million. The stock jumped when the company announced that its controlling shareholder, The Weifang State-owned Asset Management Company, had purchased more shares, bringing its stake in the company to nearly 53%.

Arotech Corp. (Nasdaq: ARTX) develops interactive simulations for the military and law enforcement groups, batteries and charging stations for the military, and various security products and services. Since last week, ARTX shares have gained more than 35%. On Monday, ARTX stock was trading near $4.23, and it's now hovering near $5.75 per share. The stock posted a strong week following a report that Arotech had received more than $2 million in orders for its batteries and chargers. ARTX currently has a market cap of nearly $112 million.

Vertex Energy Inc. (Nasdaq: VTNR) has posted a gain of 27% in the last week and traded as high as $6 today, taking it out of the true "penny stock" price range. Vertex is an environmental services company that recycles industrial waste and commercial chemical products. While the stock trades at the high end of its 52-week range, it may still have room to run. Today, analysts at Edison Group reiterated a "Positive" rating on the stock. VTNR is one of the biggest companies on this week's list, with a market cap of nearly $120 million.

Escalon Medical Corp. (Nasdaq: ESMC) rounds out this week's list with a gain of 23%. Escalon is a healthcare company that develops devices and pharmaceuticals in the areas of ophthalmology, diabetes, and hematology. ESMC stock has jumped from $1.37 per share last week to $1.69 today. The company is extremely small, with a market cap of just $12.7 million. Also, its shares are very illiquid, averaging fewer than 13,000 traded daily.

Do you trade penny stocks?Which penny stocks do you have on your radar right now? Let us know on Twitter @moneymorning using #PennyStocks.

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