Whether consciously or not, some publicly-traded companies linger below the penny-a-share mark these days, which, given the carnage on the markets following Presidents Day, may prove a blessing. As the recession hangs on and threatens to deepen, these firms are slowly finding their way onto the radar screen of the investment community, who can then hearken to the quality and growing markets for the products put out by these firms, and even dispense with some pennies to take part in that growth.
One company is International Power Group Limited (OTC:BB: IPWG, Stock Forum). This company, based out of the colorfully-named town of Celebration, Florida, is dedicated to innovating waste management, claiming leadership in the development and the implementation of new cutting-edge technologies that maximize recycling values while providing environmentally safe disposal of solid wastes and hazardous materials.
The company claims what sets it apart is its compact modular design and its ability to materially reduce airborne pollutants. Its waste management plants utilize a waste-to-energy concept. Each module is capable of combusting a minimum of 180 tons of solid and hazardous waste a day, reducing this waste to 10% of its original volume and 20% of its original weight.
Shortly before the champagne corks were popped to bid farewell to 2008, IPWG’s Board of Directors approved a plan to locate its AddPower low-temperature turbine waste-heat-to-energy technology into a wholly-owned Nevada Corporation subsidiary. If and when approved by the shareholders, each of them would receive one share of AddPower, Inc. for every 10 shares of International Power.
The stock price lay somewhere in the half-cent area in the last week of February, far from the dizzy heights of 16 cents achieved last March.
A different kind of action is reported by Texas-based Remote Dynamics Inc. (OTC:BB: RMTD, Stock Forum). The provider of asset tracking and fleet management solutions hailed third-quarter reports that showed excellent financial results. Total revenue came in at $1.38 million (all figures in U.S. dollars unless specified otherwise), compared to $1.16 million in the same quarter the year before – for growth of 19.3%, tied directly to subscriber growth of nearly 13%.
Gross profit margin was 66% during last year’s third quarter, compared to 56% in the year-ago quarter. Reduced costs of air time and mapping costs proved the primary reasons for the hike. Remote Dynamics used the REDIview fleet management system, and is bringing more clients on board with it. Most recently, RMTD added Holloman Corporation to the list, one of the largest employee-owned engineering, procurement and construction companies in America. REDIview is used by hundreds of service, construction and equipment rental companies for real-time asset tracking, maintenance management, billing and security monitoring. The company says using REDIview leads to higher customer revenues, enhanced operator efficiency and improved cost control.
Towards the end of February, RMTD stock registered at $0.0002, on volume in the tens of millions, after a 52-week peak around the 12-cent plateau last August.
On the alternative energy front, American Security Resources Corp. (OTC:BB: ARSC, Stock Forum), is also placed under the sub-penny umbrella, and seeks more public awareness of its efforts to do well by doing good. ARSC is a holding company actively seeking to acquire companies and technologies that will advance the development of alternative energies. ARSC, through its subsidiary, Hydra Fuel Cell Corporation, is developing high-volume, mass producible hydrogen fuel cells. Its American Hydrogen Corp. subsidiary is developing an inexpensive method to formulate hydrogen from ammonia.
The Houston-based company is currently sitting on a $21-million order backlog (remarkable enough in this economic climate), and seeks to speed the rollout of Hydra’s fuel cells (for which it received its first patent last October) and American Hydrogen’s ACE (ammonia catalytic electrolyzer) units. To that end, the company formed yet another subsidiary, American Security Capital Corporation, just before Christmas to facilitate leasing options for customers present and future.
The stock price is at the $0.001 mark, at the bottom of a range that peaked around eight cents last June, but on volumes totaling in the millions on some trading days, suggesting ARSC is not such a well-kept secret.
For folks aiming to go places, but want to leave the places better than when they found them, Green Globe International Inc. (OTC:BB: GGLB, Stock Forum) bears a look. The California-based majority owner of British-born Green Globe Limited claims to be the premier international brand for sustainable travel, tourism and related green businesses.
The company is an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization and has endorsed the efforts of the UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance and the UN Environment Programme in launching the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. Latest developments include the purchase of a 20% interest in Green Certifications, Inc., and will market to tourism businesses in North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean and Europe.
GGLB is “going places,” if takeoff from below sub-penny status has been delayed. Its latest price in late February was $0.0001 on volumes scaling the 10-million mark, after reaching the summit of 12 cents on February 29 last year.
Bargains are still out there in full force, many of them with innovations to improve our world. Penny stock seekers would do well to do the digging to find them.
