We recently published a list of the 11 Best Penny Stocks to Invest in Under $1. In this article, we are going to take a look at where I-80 Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:IAUX) stands against other penny stocks to invest in under $1.
Earlier on February 12 this year, Chief Investment Officer at Cetera Financial Group, Gene Goldman, discussed how he thinks small-caps are a good investment. Goldman thinks that the Fed is now a friend to the market instead of a foe, even if not the best of friends. This stance came from the anticipation that although the Fed might not lower rates this year, they’re not expected to raise them either. The Fed had projected four rate cuts in September last year, but this was later lowered to two in December. Goldman now thinks that market expectations now suggest just a zero to one rate cut in 2025, and the end-of-year interest rates are likely to be around 4%. According to him, higher inflation and the uncertainty because of tariffs are what’s causing the Fed’s cautious approach.
In this conversation, Goldman highlighted the healthcare sector with its advancements in biotech, personalized medicine, and health solutions. He also addressed concerns about AI investments and acknowledged that while AI has faced challenges this year, especially within the MAG7, AI’s long-term potential remains intact. This is especially fueled by the ongoing data revolution. Goldman recently started using an acronym for his new investment strategy, called SHAQ, to support 4 sectors — Small Caps, Healthcare, AI, and Quality investments. Goldman is enthusiastic about small caps due to their cheap valuations and improved business sentiment. Goldman thinks that small caps remain attractive even without rate reductions because of their valuation, although, of course, they could benefit from rate cuts as well. Goldman thinks that quality investments are crucial in this investment strategy as well.
Our Methodology
We used the Finviz stock screener to compile a list of the top penny stocks that were trading below $1 as of April 10. We then selected the 11 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q4 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Aerial view of a Nevada mountain range, a reminder of the active mining sites of the company.
I-80 Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:IAUX)
Share Price as of April 10: $0.52
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 11
I-80 Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:IAUX) is a mining company that explores, develops, and produces gold, silver, and polymetallic deposits mainly in Nevada in the US. Its principal assets are the McCoy-Cove gold properties which are located in Lander County, along with the Granite Creek gold project located in Humboldt County, the Lone Tree project located within the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend, and the Ruby Hill mine in Eureka County.
In 2024, the company made a revenue of $50.3 million. Its focus remains on developing the Granite Creek Underground Project, which will significantly increase the company’s gold production. The Granite Creek mine contributed 10,961 ounces of gold to the company’s total 2024 sales of 21,527 ounces. For 2025, it projects this Granite Creek production to be between 20,000 and 30,000 ounces, out of a total production of 30,000 to 40,000 ounces.
However, Granite Creek struggled with operation efficiency in 2024 because of groundwater ingress, which led to lower-than-expected mining rates and gold extraction. I-80 Gold Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN:IAUX) has taken corrective measures for this, which include expanding pumping capacity and drilling new dewatering wells. Extraction rates are anticipated to improve in H2 2025.
Overall, IAUX ranks 8th on our list of the best penny stocks to invest in under $1. While we acknowledge the growth potential of IAUX, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than IAUX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.