How do you access the Expert Market?

Discussion in 'Retail Brokers' started by Zarathustraa, May 8, 2024.

  1. There's some stocks I would like to buy from the Expert Market, and I might need to buy from there to exercise puts if a company goes bankrupt and the shares move to there. The answer I received from Interactive Brokers is I can purchase shares from there to close out a short position, but it was not clear if that would apply to exercising a put contract too. The profit margin between selling the put contract or exercising might be tens of millions of dollars in some extreme situations.

    I've pretty much tried opening up a brokerage account with nearly every US based broker, and so far no one allows traders to buy from the Expert Market. I do meet the regulatory requirement for brokers to show me quotes, but none will. Technically, anyone is allowed to buy, but the brokerage could get in trouble by facilitating the trade to the wrong person. This seems a bit crazy to me since I'm allowed to shovel all of my money into lottery tickets and slot machines, but cannot speculate on companies on the Expert Market I believe can get out.

    The best info I've found so far is move to Canada and you'll get full access to the US markets. Besides that option does anyone know of another way?
     
  2. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    What is the Expert Market?
     
  3. It's a highly restricted market tier on OTC Markets. A bunch of dark companies moved there in 2021, previously retail investors were allowed to trade them. Now, you have to be qualified, which basically means only institutional and accredited investors can be shown quotes. Technically, legally anyone is allowed to buy if they can figure out how; however, the brokerage can get in trouble if they allow you to.
     
    Occam likes this.
  4. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    what’s the point. There are like 35 non penny stock companies. Liquidity is near zero. And transparency is near zero (which is why they are in this category).

    it’s not a traders market but rather an investors market. I’ve looked at investing in pink sheet companies but it would have been for hostile takeovers of micro cap companies.
     
  5. There's some stocks with decent volatility. I have a WeWork position I could have gotten out at break even by doubling my position, and selling half. There's also a few potential squeeze plays in here for a longer term trade setup. Mainly SRNE, they just had the Q taken off the name, but they're not yet in the regular OTC market. I think there are shorts stuck from expecting it to go to zero. Has 122 days to cover according to Fintel. So, if it gets out easily goes from a penny to a few bucks.