Over the counter (OTC) stocks

What is an OTC stock?

Over-The-Counter (OTC) stocks are securities that aren’t traded on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or Nasdaq. Hundreds of them are available on Stake Wall St. To learn more about OTC stocks, click here. 

How much does it cost to invest in OTCs?

Brokerage and regulatory fees for OTC stocks on Stake are the same as for trading other U.S. securities. Our current brokerage fee is US$3 on any trade up to US$30,000 (or 0.01% above US$30,000).  

Where can I view my OTC portfolio?

Your OTC stocks will be in your portfolio alongside your other U.S. holdings. They can be identified by the ‘OTC’ symbol on the right side of the screen when the stock is selected.

Why is there only a LIMIT order available when trading OTC?

OTC stocks can only be traded using a LIMIT order type (not Market or Stop orders) because you can’t own a fractional amount of an OTC stock. Learn more about the different order types here.

Things to Consider

It’s important to recognise that OTC stocks tend to have lower liquidity. Entering and exiting positions may be more difficult if traders are looking for specific prices. Lower liquidity is also associated with increased volatility.

If a company does not meet the requirements to list on a normal exchange, its securities can be traded via OTC markets, but may still be subject to some regulation by the SEC (relevant to U.S. securities only).

The SEC provides more details of things to be aware of when trading in the over-the-counter markets.