Investors with a high risk tolerance might want to consider adding the two ASX penny stocks in this article to a balanced portfolio.
That's because although they are high risk investments, they have the potential to offer high rewards.
Let's take a closer look at them and see why analysts are tipping them as buys right now:
Pointsbet Holdings Ltd (ASX: PBH)
This sports betting company has been given the thumbs up by analysts at Bell Potter.
It thinks Pointsbet could be an ASX penny stock to buy based on its current valuation. The broker feels that the market is undervaluing its operations and sees it as a potential takeover target for a bigger player. It explains:
We determine our price target for PointsBet through a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) and there is no change in the $0.63 valuation. The components of this valuation are $150m for the Australian business ($0.46/share), $25m for the Canadian business ($0.08/share) and $30m in corporate cash ($0.09/share). We note we ascribe no value for the Banach technology which PointsBet can continue to use for in-play betting in Canada and, to a lesser extent, Australia. We also believe PointsBet is a potential takeover target given its market position (fifth largest in Australia), simplified structure (Australia and Canada), proprietary technology and good Balance Sheet.
Bell Potter has a buy rating and 63 cents price target on its shares. Based on its current share price of 50.5 cents, this implies potential upside of 25% for investors over the next 12 months.
PYC Therapeutics Ltd (ASX: PYC)
Another ASX penny stock to look at according to Bell Potter is PYC Therapeutics. It is clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple drug candidates for rare inherited diseases.
The broker highlights that PYC recently reported highly encouraging first clinical data for its lead drug candidate, VP-001, in patients with a rare form of blinding eye disease. It feels that the positive readout provides significant validation for the individual asset and broader PYC platform. It also feels that successful readouts in other phase 1/2 trials would provide considerable de-risking.
In light of this, this month Bell Potter initiated coverage on the ASX penny stock with a speculative buy rating and 17 cents price target. This implies potential upside of 70% for investors from current levels. The broker commented:
We initiate coverage of PYC with a speculative BUY recommendation and $0.17 valuation. Pro-forma cash balance was ~$84m as at 31 March 2024, providing runway into 2H CY25 to achieve the above-mentioned Phase 1/2 clinical trial readouts. PYC have multiple shots on goal with three highly promising drug candidates for rare diseases. We also see value in the company's internal platform and potential to continually generate differentiated RNA therapeutics for inherited diseases.
