How do you find the best penny stocks? The answer may seem simple, but it’s not. Many things can affect your decision and make finding a good buy tough for even the most experienced investors.

One thing to look out for when trying to invest in penny stocks is whether or not their prices will stay low long enough before they inflate again. Second, great financials are a must. Look out for those with strong balance sheets and healthy profits. Finally, look for companies with good future prospects. This could mean they have new products or services in the pipeline or are expanding into new markets. By taking the time to research penny stocks, you can increase your chances of finding ones that will be successful investments.

Penny stocks can be very exciting. But they also come with risks and require research before investing any real capital into them. If you are ready to take the plunge, here are three penny stocks that could 10X by 2023.

Exela Technologies (XELA)

Exela Technologies (NASDAQ:XELA) is a global business process automation and information management solutions provider. Headquartered in Texas, Exela serves more than 4,000 customers in over 50 countries. Its platform enables customers to automate manual processes, improve data quality and compliance, and reduce costs. One company that constantly comes up when discussing penny stocks is Exela Technologies.

Why? Exela Technologies is in a good position right now. It has secured some big contract victories recently. Exela’s Exchange for Bills and Payments segment contracted an order with a total value of $136 million in June. The same division secured a three-year, $18.3 million deal, which started accruing in the third quarter of 2022.

The company has high debt levels, which poses a problem for investors. However, Exela Technologies has done well in the last few quarters, paring debt substantially. Investors should pay attention to whether the debt-EBITDA ratio will continue to lessen.

One of the brightest spots for Exela is DrySign, a proprietary e-signature platform. DrySign enables organizations to sign documents with high security and compliance electronically. Exela is well-positioned to continue its growth in this market, which is expected to grow to $42 billion by 2030.

Exela’s growth has been slowing in recent years. Blame it on intensifying competition, slower-than-expected adoption of its products, and uncertain macroeconomic conditions. However, the company has made some progress in adapting its business model to the new realities of the global business process automation software market. It is now well-positioned to capitalize on the secular tailwinds driving demand for its solutions.

Palatin Technologies (PTN)

Palatin Technologies (NYSEMKT:PTN) is an up-and-coming biotech company that is based in New Jersey. Its chief product, Vyleesi, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June 2019 for treating HSDD (hypoactive sexual desire disorder) in premenopausal women.

PL9643, another drug in its pipeline, helps treat dry eye disease. In addition, Palatin is developing a drug that can effectively treat ulcerative colitis. Its PL8177 has passed its first-stage trials and will be going into Phase 2 testing soon, with expected results by the end of 2022.

In conclusion, Palatin holds an excellent portfolio of drugs in earlier stages of development. With several potential blockbuster drugs in its pipeline, this is a company with huge upside potential. So don’t miss out on this hidden gem. You will want to keep an eye on Palatin Technologies.

FlexShopper (FPAY)

FlexShopper (NASDAQ:FPAY) is an upcoming fintech company proving to be a great challenger in the current market. Its principal business is lease-to-own furniture, which is gaining ground as consumers become affected by inflation. Its lease-to-own offerings are an appealing and practical solution because they provide a way to get the furniture without breaking the bank.

The percentage of consumers using financing or leasing programs has increased dramatically in the past year. A recent survey of 2,688 consumers in the U.S. found that nearly 58% used a financing or leasing program when buying durable goods within the past year. With inflation remaining at its highest rate in decades, the trend will not change anytime soon.

The latest results from FlexShopper illustrate the company is doing very well due to these trends. Analysts expected a loss of 5 cents per share for the second quarter, and the company blew past those numbers with a 51-cent profit. Revenues of $36.55 million also outpaced analyst estimates of $32.08 million.

Its recent performance is driven by several tailwinds. These include rising demand for its lease-to-own services, a favorable product mix and inflation. Given the company’s strong fundamentals and favorable industry trends, FlexShopper is in a great position to grow in the quarters ahead.

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks: With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. That’s because these “penny stocks” are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand that InvestorPlace.com’s writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks. 

Read More: Penny Stocks — How to Profit Without Getting Scammed 

On the publication date, Faizan Farooque did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.