How OTC Stocks are Different
The main difference between OTC stocks and regular stocks is that they aren’t listed on a formal market. For this reason, the stocks are likely cheaper and less regulated.
Just because a company is listed on OTC doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. OTC stocks are typically companies just starting out or looking to save money. Other companies just don’t meet the volume requirements to be listed on a formal exchange.
It is also possible that the business on the OTC was delisted from a formal exchange. This could be because they went private, delisted certain classes of stock, or failed to comply with regulations and were forced off the exchange. There are so many possible reasons.
Ultimately, OTC stocks aren’t that different from regular stocks. You just need to be careful because of the lack of regulations.
How to Purchase OTCs
Buying OTC stocks is similar to purchasing other types of stocks. The same general process applies. The only difference may be that some brokers don’t work with OTC stocks, so be sure to choose one that does if you want to trade them.
The first thing you want to do is find a broker. Once you have done that, you need to put money into your brokerage account, at least enough to fund your trade. Before you make the trade, though, make sure that you do your research. Whether the trade is OTC or not, you always want to do your research first and make an informed decision.
Once you have done all of the research, then it’s the easy part: find your stock and purchase it. No matter which broker you choose to work with, the process will likely be similar, if not identical.
Where to Purchase OTCs
As we mentioned before, not all brokers allow trading of OTC stocks. There are a few that you can, though. In Canada, you can trade OTC stocks through these different platforms.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers is an online brokerage that allows you to trade OTC stocks. The thing about online brokerages is that they often have low fees, and Interactive Brokers follows suit. There is no account fee, and their trading fees range from $1.00 to 0.5% per trade, depending on the stock. Like most other brokerages, you can also use them for any other investments you would like, such as:
- ETFs
- Bonds
- Options
- Currencies
- Futures
- Stocks on formal markets
Questrade
Questrade is a flexible, self-directed online trading platform. They also allow OTC trades and formal market stocks. Questrade also offers no account fees with trade fees ranging from $4.95 – $9.95 per trade. The list of securities that you can invest in with Questrade is a little bit longer.
- ETFs
- Bonds
- Options
- Mutual Funds
- GICs
- International Equities
- Precious Metals
Qtrade Direct Investing
With Qtrade, you may have to pay some account fees. The way it works is that there are conditions to maintain the $0 fees. If those conditions aren’t met, then you may have to pay $25 per quarter. Their trading fees are relatively low, though they range from $6.95 to $8.75 per trade. Besides OTC stocks, on Qtrade, you can trade:
- Bonds
- Options
- Mutual Funds
- ETFs
- GICs
- Stocks on formal markets
OTC Stocks and the Top 5 Banks
We already know that you can purchase OTC stocks through some online brokers, but what about the top 5 banks? Can you purchase OTC stocks through the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Scotiabank, Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) or the Bank of Montreal (BMO)?
CIBC
CIBC Investor’s Edge doesn’t allow you to facilitate trades online. They only allow OTC market trades to be done with a live representative. There are also restrictions on how you can trade OTC stocks. With CIBC, they have to be done through a non-registered investment account.
RBC
While it is not as widely known as the options above, you actually can trade OTC stocks with RBC Direct Investing. You can purchase via bank transfer with RBC, and on the plus side, they also have low fees of only $9.95 per trade unless you make more than 150 trades. If this is the case, the fee is then only $6.95.
TD
When it comes to purchasing OTC stocks from TD, they are also very limited. There are very few to choose from.
Scotiabank
Scotiabank allows trades in OTC stocks, as well as trades on formal markets. The process is the same for both. You can open an account online or contact an advisor directly.
BMO
With BMO, you can also trade OTC securities. The options are more limited, though, than the more commonly used markets above. The process for OTC stock trading works similarly to that of other securities; you may just not be able to do it online, depending on the stock.
Trading OTCs with Wealthsimple
While Wealthsimple is a really popular platform for trading securities, you actually cannot trade OTC stocks using Wealthsimple. That being said, you can trade crypto on Wealthsimple, which is something you can’t do with Questrade.
The thing with Wealthsimple, though, is that they also have $0 fees, so if you did sign up, you wouldn’t have to pay anything. It also has plenty of other investing options. As we have mentioned, though, OTC stocks are riskier, so not all platforms will allow you to trade them. If you are looking to trade OTCs, do your research before you put any money into a brokerage account. You want to make sure that you are putting the money where you intend to invest it.
OTC Stocks and Penny Stocks
Penny stocks are low-priced stocks, usually under $5. Penny stocks are usually held by new companies or those not listed on a formal exchange. For this reason, most trading in penny stocks is done on the OTC market.
While penny stocks may seem like an ideal purchase, they actually aren’t commonly purchased by new investors. This is because penny stocks, as well as many other OTC-listed stocks, have higher market volatility than most listed on a major exchange.
There is quite a difference between penny stocks listed on a formal market and those listed on an OTC market, though. OTC market stocks can be invested in TFSAs and RRSPs, whereas those on formal markets cannot.
Keep in mind that when you buy penny stocks, no matter where you purchase them, they are much riskier than other stocks, so they may still not be recommended. Investing in TFSAs at all can be a little bit tricky since TFSAs are still technically monitored by the federal government, so you should avoid active trading in them in general.
Pink Sheet Stocks
If you have heard of OTC stocks before, you have probably heard of pink sheet stocks. The terms are pretty interchangeable. This is because, before OTC markets were called OTC markets, they were Pink Sheets LLC. Hence, the name pink sheet stocks. It’s worth noting that all their stocks and bonds are listed on the pink and yellow sheets. In 2011, it became known as the OTC market group. C markets were called OTC markets, and they were Pink Sheets LLC. Hence, the name pink sheet stocks. It helps to note that all of their stocks and bonds are listed on the Pink and Yellow sheets. In 2011, it became known as the OTC market group.
How Grey Sheets Differ
Grey sheets are OTC stocks that are considered to be of even lower quality than pink sheets. These are usually securities that don’t trade on an exchange or OTC platform. There’s almost no public information available on them, and they also have virtually no regulations.
OTC Markets
When you purchase an OTC stock, it will be listed on one of the 3 possible OTC exchanges. OTC Market Group owns these markets. With OTCs, it is important to remember that Canada does not have an OTC market, but the US does. This means that these US markets, as well as the market they use to facilitate trades (OTC Link), are regulated by the SEC.
OTCQX
The OTCQX market is also known as the best market. This is largely because it is the strictest of the 3 markets. In this market, penny stocks cannot be listed. Many OTC stocks in this market are from companies in Canada, Europe, Brazil, and Russia that are considered blue-chip. One well-known example of this is Heineken N.V. (HINKF).
Before November 2021, the OTCBB (Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board) was the main market for trading OTC securities. It was then that the OTCQX took over. The OTCBB no longer exists.
OCTQB
This market is known as the venture market and is the middle ground of the 3. There are no restrictions on penny stocks in this market; however, most of the stocks here are from growing companies worldwide.
OTC Pink
The third market is the open market. This is a market for stock that doesn’t qualify for the other two markets. Because of this, it’s the riskiest market to invest in. It is the default market. Companies are not required to disclose any information to be listed here.
OTC Stock Lists
Even though OTC stocks are not as widely discussed as those listed on the TSX or TSX Venture Exchange, there are actually over 12,000 stocks listed here. While we do caution you to do your research before investing in OTC companies, there are plenty of legitimate ones. Some of the largest companies started on the OTC.
Other companies choose the OTC markets for reasons like avoiding the SEC or avoiding delisting. Some massive companies still choose to trade on OTC markets even though they are large enough to trade through other markets.
Here are a few larger companies that trade on the OTC markets:
- Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce CIBC (CCIXF)
- Samsung Electronics (SSNL.F)
- Volkswagen AG (VWAGY)
- Enbridge Inc (EBBNF)
This is just to name a few.
Canadian OTC Stocks
Even though Canada doesn’t have its own OTC market, there are plenty of Canadian companies listed on US OTC markets: 965, actually. Keep in mind that some of these companies are also listed on major exchanges, such as the Toronto Stock Exchange or the Venture Exchange. Another term for this is cross-listed. This means that they are listed on more than one exchange at a time.
Investing in OTC Stocks
Investing in OTC stocks is really a personal decision. There is some risk, but there can also be rewards. There are plenty of really successful companies that have over-the-counter stocks, such as Walmart. There are also some current successful companies there. Just because a company is listed on OTC markets doesn’t mean that you will lose money; it just means that they don’t qualify for a more formal market, or they are choosing not to list there. Some may even just be cross-listing.
The most important thing when it comes to investing in the OTC market, or really any type of investing, is to do your research. There are never any guarantees, but the more informed you are, the less likely you are to lose. Even though that said, you want to be sure you develop an investment strategy just to keep yourself on track. This applies if you are day trading or just casually investing.
Buying OTC Stocks in a TFSA
While OTCs are recognized by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, they aren’t by the federal government. Due to this, you can’t buy or sell stocks that are considered to be OTC in registered accounts. You can only hold eligible securities in a Tax-Free Savings Account.
No matter what the stock prices are, if you do hold Over-the-Counter (OTC) stocks in this account, there will be a penalty. This is why general investment advice does not recommend it. There will be a 50% tax on the fair market value and a 100% tax on any gains and income from the investment.
How OTC Stock Manipulation and Pump and Dumps Work
In OTC trading, fraudsters artificially inflate the price of low-volume microcap stocks through false information (pump) and then sell their shares (dump) at the peak time to make a massive profit. This then leaves the purchaser with worthless shares. While this is against securities laws, it still often happens, and these pump-and-dump schemes are known as market manipulation.
Current Currency Conversions When Buying US OTC Stocks
For Canadian investors looking to purchase shares in international companies or US OTC stocks, the currency conversion is always going to change. As of May 2026, the current conversion from Canadian to US is 1.37, meaning that $1.00 US is worth $1.37 Canadian. This means that you’re going to face a currency conversion spread of between 1% and 1.5% for standard Canadian brokerages.
OTC Stock Minimum Investment Requirements in Canada
While there are no minimum investment requirements through any investment regulatory standards or the Canada Revenue Agency, there are some requirements depending on the brokerage that you use. It’s also important to consider whether they even sell OTC stocks. Even if they sell penny stocks off the penny stock market, these aren’t always OTCs, so it’s important to check.
Liquidity Risks When Selling OTC Stocks
Since OTCs have low liquidity, there’s always going to be a liquidity risk. With OTCs, this is a significant risk due to wide bid-ask spreads, low trading volumes, and a reliance on market makers. Unfortunately, this can lead to a reduction in prices to help facilitate a sale or an inability to sell altogether.
Settlement Times for OTC Trades in Canada
While the underlying assets in OTC trades are settled on different timelines, they are usually settled in T+1 (trade day plus one business day). This isn’t just for OTC trades, though; it happens on all markets, including the National Stock Exchange, OTC Bulletin Board and the OTCQB Venture Market.
Why TFSA Penalties Apply to OTC Stocks
The reason that these penalties specifically apply to non-qualified investments by the Canada Revenue Agency. Traditional stocks aren’t subject to these penalties; however, trading volume matters. To be qualified for a TFSA, a security must generally be listed on a designated stock exchange.
OTC Stocks With the Highest Trading Volume in Canada
Since OTC financial instruments are highly speculative investments, due to the fact that they’re mostly from emerging companies. These are very investor-focused since these companies rely on the sale to raise capital for their businesses. However, since they are risky, you have to be careful where you purchase them from. It’s also a good idea to look at the company’s financial statements before you commit to anything. This goes for both retail investors and corporate investors. It’s actually best practice for most stocks, and not OTCs.
