This Week's Top Penny Stocks Brought Investors Gains as High as 367%

This week's top penny stocks brought shareholders gains as high as 367%, 243%, and 154% in just a matter of days.

Top penny stocksThat's why penny stock investing is so alluring - picking the right penny stocks can bring serious gains in a very short period of time. While the gains can be huge, so too are some of the risks. Penny stocks that trade "Over-the-Counter" (OTC) or on the Pink Sheets are subject to wild swings that can leave investors holding the bag on a worthless stock.

For investors who picked up one of this week's top penny stocks, the risks were worth it. Now, check out the top penny stock gainers this week...

This Week's Top Penny Stock Gains

Maverick Minerals Corp. (OTCMKTS: MVRM) is the biggest penny stock gainer this week, having posted a gain of 367% in the past five trading days. Maverick Minerals is an exploration-stage company that develops prospective oil and gas properties primarily in Texas. Like many penny stocks, shares of MVRM are very illiquid. Prior to this week, shares of MVRM hadn't traded for several weeks. MVRM finished the week near $0.41 per share, and the stock has a 52-week range of $0.03 to $3.55. Maverick Minerals has a market cap of just under $7 million.

Vanell Corp. (OTCBB: VANL) is another stock that trades "over-the-counter." OTC stocks are not subject to the same financial filing standards as companies that trade on the NYSE or Nasdaq, so investors must do the proper research before investing. Investors who jumped in on VANL this week were treated to a gain of 243%. VANL stock traded at $1.44 at the end of last week and is trading just below $5 today. VANL hit a 52-week high of $7.50 on Friday before settling back down. Vanell is a consulting firm to the coffee industry in El Salvador.

Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (OTCMKTS: ESCC) is another triple-digit winner this week, up 154%. ESCC operates in a niche market, developing display systems for use in full-dome video projection applications like planetariums, science centers, and schools. This week, the company reported quarterly revenue of $8.5 million, up from $5.4 million the year before. The company also made a profit of $1 million, up from a loss of $1.1 million the year before. ESCC stock currently trades at $0.57 per share.

BioFuel Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: BIOF) produces and sells ethanol and related products. The stock gained 83% this week and also made Money Morning's list of top 10 penny stocks in March 2014 after posting a monthly gain of 151%. BIOF ended last week at $3.14 per share and touched an intra-day high of $6.33 per share today, putting it on the expensive side for a penny stock. The company has a 52-week range of $1.13 to $7.80 and a market cap of $35 million.

KiOR Inc. (Nasdaq: KIOR) rounds out this week's list of top penny stocks with a gain of 72%. KIOR is a renewable fuels company that produces fuel products from wood, grass, and the non-edible portions of plants. KIOR ended last week at $0.42 and traded at an intra-day high of $0.72 Friday. However, the stock is still trading at the low end of its 52-week range of $0.33 to $5.94. KIOR has a market cap of $77 million.

Are you a penny stock investor? Which penny stocks are on your radar? Let us know on Twitter @moneymorning using #PennyStocks.

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