10 Top Technology Penny Stocks of 2017 Show Gains as High as 2,377%

Today, we ranked the 10 top technology penny stocks of 2017 so far based on year-to-date performance. But for investors looking for future growth instead of past gains, we're also going to show you one of the best small-cap technology stocks to buy right now...

Technology Penny Stock Current Stock Price Year-to-Date Gain
Coda Octopus Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CODA) $4.35 +2,377.1%
Aspen Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ASPU) $5.96 +1,987.6%
Adesto Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: IOTS) $5.93 +220.3%
Internap Corp. (Nasdaq: INAP) $4.53 +194.2%
Iteris Inc. (Nasdaq: ITI) $6.15 +192.9%
Finjan Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: FNJN) $2.52 +122.5%
Medical Transcription Billing Corp. (Nasdaq: MTBC) $1.39 +91.6%
Highpower International Inc. (Nasdaq: HPJ) $4.40 +87.2%
Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS) $2.20 +74.6%
Digital Turbine Inc. (Nasdaq: APPS) $1.18 +73.6%

The gains above reflect the broader bull rally in the tech sector this year. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Index is the best-performing major U.S. index of 2017, climbing 17.8% this year. That beats the S&P 500's 10.2% gain and Dow Jones Industrial Average's 11.3% rise.

top technology penny stocks of 2017And as you can see, the tech penny stocks listed above have been some of the most profitable stocks in the tech sector this year. The biggest winner is currently Coda Octopus Group Inc., a company that develops underwater imaging and mapping technology for aquatic vehicles. Shares of CODA stock are up 2,377.1% in 2017, and the company saw its biggest daily gain of the year on Jan. 11, when they surged 1,400% from $0.20 to $3.00.

That quadruple-digit surge in just one day came after Coda announced on Jan. 11 a 1-for-14 reverse stock split. This meant that every 14 shares of CODA common stock was converted into one share, reducing the total number of issued and outstanding shares from 127.4 million to 9.1 million. After the supply of shares shrunk by 92.8%, the stock consolidation was enough to send the CODA stock price 1,400% higher in one day.

Despite the attractiveness of CODA's 2,377.1% return this year, we don't advise buying into it or any other technology penny stock listed above. The quadruple- and triple-digit returns of those 10 companies indicate they're trading at inflated prices. That means they may not offer much profit potential for investors who buy in now.

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Here at Money Morning, we're interested in getting ahead of the big returns like these and finding you stocks poised for long-term rallies. And today, Money Morning Small-Cap Specialist Sid Riggs is recommending one of the best small-cap tech stocks to invest in this year.

Sid's pick is a financial tech - or "fintech" - company that's set to profit from the growing mobile banking market. Juniper Research says over 2 billion people will use their mobile devices for banking by 2021 - up from 1.2 billion in 2016.

Here's Sid's small-cap tech stock recommendation...

One of the Best Small-Cap Technology Stocks to Buy in 2017

Our small-cap recommendation today is Mitek Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: MITK).

Mitek develops identity verification software and services that let users make mobile banking transactions, like insurance payments and check deposits, safely. These include Mobile Docs, which is used for scanning financial documents, and Mobile Verify, which can be used for validating driver's licenses.

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The company has a presence in the exploding mobile transaction market, which is projected to expand by up to 716% through 2021. According to Statista, total revenue for the tech companies making those transactions possible could be over $865 billion by 2021.

Mitek's continued dominance will not only come from its mobile banking business, but also from its identity services.

"The company is already the world leader in mobile capture and identity verification, so it has a huge first-mover advantage over its competition," Sid said. "It's no surprise, then, that its top line nearly doubled over the last two years."

In fact, Mitek's earnings history shows how its profits are growing at such a rapid rate. The company's annual net income staged a massive turnaround in recent years, going from a $5.3 million loss in 2014 to a $1.9 million profit in 2016. Mitek raked in income of $2.9 million - or $0.08 per share - in Q2 2017. That was up from $2.4 million - or $0.07 per share - in the same period in 2016.

Even more attractive is Mitek's projected earnings growth...

Four analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance expect the firm to post average 2017 earnings per share of $0.29. That's more than quadruple the 2016 EPS of $0.06.

Those same analysts predict MITK stock will rise as high as $12.25 per share by August 2018. That would represent a solid return of 21.3% from the current $10.10.

The Bottom Line: The quadruple- and triple-digit returns in our list of top technology penny stocks of 2017 show how profitable these cheap companies can be. However, we don't advise investing in any of the 10 firms listed above. Instead, we recommend Mitek stock as one of the most profitable small-cap tech stock investments this year. With a strong presence in the mobile banking industry and a projected surge in earnings this year, MITK stock can offer safe and stable returns in 2017.

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