The Top Penny Stock to Watch Right Now Is Up 360% in 2017

Among the top penny stocks to watch right now is one which has returned an impressive 360% so far this year and shows no sign of slowing.

AVEO Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: AVEO) has climbed an astounding 360% year to date, to its current share price of $2.99.

Top penny stocks to watch

AVEO shares have been climbing since its drug Tivozanib received a recommendation for approval in Europe back in June. In fact, the stock shot up nearly 50% shortly after the announcement of the recommendation.

This means the European Commission will consider approval of the drug, which is targeted for treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma, according to MarketWatch.

Advanced renal cell carcinoma is one of the most frequently occurring cancers and is forecasted to be among the fastest-growing cancers over the next 10 years.

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Penny stocks like AVEO Pharmaceuticals, whose products and services receive approval or favorable news, can deliver investors triple-digit returns in a matter of days. That's why these stocks are among the top penny stocks to watch.

However, investors must be aware that penny stocks are riskier than normal stocks. Penny stocks are a volatile class, meaning shares can lose gains just as quickly as they make them.

This is because penny stocks are often the stocks of fledgling companies, with products under development and not fully rolled out to the public. If the companies encounter an unforeseen problem with development, or their plans do not come to fruition, the stocks can plummet.

That's why we're bringing you an even better stock to buy. Money Morning Small-Cap Specialist Sid Riggs has a less risky stock pick with serious upside.

Now, the company Sid is recommending is not a penny stock. Instead, he's recommending a small-cap stock that's still affordable for penny stock investors. Plus, small caps are less volatile than penny stocks.

His top pick is in the automotive sector, but you're not likely to recognize the name, especially in the United States.

The company actually operates in China. And one of the reasons the stock is a top pick is that the automotive market there is growing by leaps and bounds.

Between 2013 and 2016, car sales in China climbed a whopping 45%. Over the same period, the United States and European Union registered increased car sales of 12.5% and nearly 23%, respectively - impressive, but outpaced by the growth in China.

In 2015 alone, car ownership in China grew to 172 million, more than half the total U.S. 2015 population of nearly 321 million.

Here's how to tap into this fast-growing market with Sid's pick...

The Top Penny Stock to Watch for Skyrocketing Car Sales in China

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Sid's pick, Bitauto Holdings Ltd. (NYSE ADR: BITA), is positioned to benefit from expected future growth in the Chinese auto sector. The company offers marketing, online content, and other advertising both to automakers and customers in China.

BITA serves three of China's largest industries in the auto sector, including transaction services, advertising/subscriptions, and digital marketing. All of them have been rising in 2017. In the first quarter alone, for example, they climbed 193.5%, 4.2%, and 4.3%, respectively, year over year.

These increases have been driven by the rapid growth of the auto industry in China. Last year alone, nearly 24 million cars were sold in China, more than 35% more than in the United States, where the total was 17.5 million for the year.

Car sales are being fueled by China's fast-growing middle class. Sid expects the middle class in China to hit 550 million people in five years. That's a staggering leap from the U.S. middle class' roughly 121 million people.

As more Chinese reach the middle class, they will want the consumer goods the western world takes for granted. This is especially true of cars, which are viewed as status symbols in China.

BITA is not only being driven by rising car sales but also by changes in vehicle financing. Historically, people in China saved cash to not only buy cars, but also real estate and other big-ticket items.

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According to David Schoch, former vice president of Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F), roughly 80% of people who purchased Fords in China used cash, while 20% used financing. The National Association of Realtors observed buyers from China pay cash for U.S. real estate in more than 70% of transactions.

Increasingly, Chinese buyers are moving toward financing rather than paying in cash. Deloitte forecasts that half of all car buying in China will be through financing by 2020.

In addition, the segment recently received funding to the tune of $1 billion from three leading Internet companies in China: JD.com Inc. (Nasdaq ADR: JD), Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTCMKTS: TCEHY), and Baidu Inc. (Nasdaq ADR: BIDU).

And since BITA is locked into the industry, it's poised to grow as China's middle class begins financing cars, too.

Sid notes that BITA has consumer trust and a long-time user base, which is going to give it an advantage over any new entrants.

BITA is currently selling at $39.13 per share, a whopping 93% climb year to date.

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