To OTC Journal Members: 
 

Welcome to the 14th Year of Continuing Coverage

You're probably not going to believe this, but today's edition is the first of of my 14th year of continuously publishing the OTC Journal. Yes folks, when I started this, I had hair and enthusiasm for the penny stock sector. The OTC Journal is the oldest online penny stock publication in existance.

Today, I still have my enthusiasm for the penny stock market- the hair? Well, as you can see, not so much.

Over the 14 years I've been writing the OTC Journal, I've seen a lot of change in the penny stock market. Over the last few years it's not for the better in my view. Thanks to the internet, the OTC world has changed considerably.

The time frames to trade in and out of penny stocks in today's market environment can be as short as hours or minutes. There's hundreds of companies looking for exposure, and the information disseminators like myself have ideas coming at us on a nearly daily basis.

The crowd swings from one idea to the next sometimes 3 times a week because the information can get out so rapidly.

This environment can be tough if you're not glued to your screen and super active. I much prefer an environment where one can take a position in a stock and watch for slow appreciation over a month or two as the company delivers solid fundamental events and growth, and the audience for the stock expands. These are the quality penny stocks- the ones with lots of upside potential and real growth.

Here's a peak into the future- I've already identified four situations I like that I'll be covering for at least a month. Instead of "here and gone" stories, you'll get some real follow up and the ideas will have some time to develop. I expect to introduce all of them between now and the end of March.

Some notables over the years: Big winners included Spicy Pickle (SPKL)- $.50 to $2.00 with total liquidity in the Fall of 2007. That one was particularly satisfying for me as I personally invested in the company before it came public and made net profits of over $700,000 for taking the risk. Unfortunately, the 2008 recession killed the company's growth prospects, and it's struggling today.

Force Protection (NASDAQ: FRPT) was my second biggest win of all time. We started with that one around $2, and it eventually hit a high of about $26 as I recall. The company was bought out by General Dynamics this past December, so we can't look at the chart anymore. That one took nearly 2 years to make its high from the first time I wrote about it.

The biggest win of all time was a company called NetSol International (NASDAQ: NTWK). I first covered it at about $1.80 in 1998. At the top of the dot-com craze in March of 2000, the stock hit $75 in one of the greatest short squeezes of all time. This Pakistani software developer is still around, but not flourishing as they once did.

Of course as is the nature of the penny market, the losers are too numerous to review. I really wouldn't characterize many of the ideas so much as losers. In the small cap world and penny market, you are going to have losers. That's the nature of the beast. I'd say I it was more the disappointments that have been difficult- every now and then you come across one of these companies that just looks like it can't miss. Then, somehow, the management team screws it up, and down it goes. Those are my biggest regrets.

I'm going to try to focus on a little longer term coverages going into 2012 so you have a better chance to make more money without worrying minute to minute.

Here's a look back to the first edition ever published in the OTC Journal. It was May 8, 1998. The company was San Diego based Ontro, inc. I wrote a preview on an upcoming IPO, and gave the information on where to call to get a prospectus and ask for an allocation of the IPO.

Ontro had developed a revolutionary new product called an "Integrated Thermal Container". It was specialized beverage packaging- you basically popped the top, and the beverage became either hot or cold in a matter of seconds. It was used for things like soup, and was ideal for soldiers in the field, campers, etc.

I can't remember what happened with the company. But if you want to stroll down memory lane, Click Here to read my first edition.

Coming Attraction

My first idea of 2012 will be out on Sunday morning. We've had some great success with the Sunday releases, and I hope this will set the stage for a fantastic and highly profitable 2012.

Here's a little preview:

• Can you tell me what industry is set to grow from $13.3 billion in 2006 to $46.9 billion in 2030?
• Can you show me a company in this industry group that achieved $5.6 million in revs in Sept quarter of '11- up 113% from the same quarter in '10?
• Can you show me a company like this, but it only trades at $.15 per share, and no one is following it- yet?

I've got it for you, and you'll be able to read about on Sunday for Monday trading. I think this is an easy double from the current level.

More before Sunday.

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