The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the 50 securities traded on the OTCQX market tier, that demonstrated comparatively strong trading activity and relative performance over the prior year.
The list is published by OTC Markets Group Inc (OTC:OTCM), which operates the U.S. over-the-counter equity markets.
For experienced retail investors, the OTCQX Best 50 serves as a market behavior reference rather than an investment shortlist. It helps illustrate where liquidity, trading interest, and investor attention were concentrated within the OTCQX market during 2025, as reflected in the 2026 ranking.
Importantly, the ranking shows how securities traded, not why they moved or what they might do next.
For investors looking beyond headlines, the list offers a streamlined way to see where trading activity was sustained, where liquidity was more consistently available, and which lesser-known securities attracted ongoing market participation.
This article explains what the OTCQX Best 50 is, how it is constructed at a high level, why some investors follow it, and how to interpret it responsibly in 2026.
#2026 OTCQX Best 50 Rankings
| Rank | Company | Symbol |
| 1 | Ucore Rare Metals, Inc. | UURAF |
| 2 | Metaplanet Inc. | MTPLF |
| 3 | Discovery Silver Corp. | DSVSF |
| 4 | Andean Precious Metals Corp | ANPMF |
| 5 | RIO2 Limited | RIOFF |
| 6 | Grayscale Zcash Trust (ZEC) | ZCSH |
| 7 | Lundin Gold Inc. | LUGDF |
| 8 | Graphite One Inc. | GPHOF |
| 9 | G Mining Ventures Corp. | GMINF |
| 10 | Heliostar Metals Ltd. | HSTXF |
| 11 | Montage Gold Corp. | MAUTF |
| 12 | Mountain Commerce Bancorp Inc. | MCBI |
| 13 | Silver Tiger Metals Inc. | SLVTF |
| 14 | LUCA MINING CORP. | LUCMF |
| 15 | ABAXX Technologies Inc. | ABXXF |
| 16 | Blackrock Silver Corp. | BKRRF |
| 17 | AbraSilver Resource Corp | ABBRF |
| 18 | GUANAJUATO SILVER CO LTD | GSVRF |
| 19 | First Mining Gold Corp. | FFMGF |
| 20 | Aftermath Silver Ltd. | AAGFF |
| 21 | GoGold Resources, Inc. | GLGDF |
| 22 | Aya Gold & Silver Inc. | AYASF |
| 23 | K92 Mining Inc | KNTNF |
| 24 | Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. | IMPUY |
| 25 | Jaguar Mining Inc. | JAGGF |
| 26 | ENDEAVOUR Mining PLC. | EDVMF |
| 27 | Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. | WDOFF |
| 28 | Deutsche Telekom AG | DTEGY |
| 29 | Nordea Bank Abp | NRDBY |
| 30 | AXA | AXAHY |
| 31 | BNP Paribas | BNPQY |
| 32 | Zurich Insurance Group Ltd | ZURVY |
| 33 | American Business Bank (Los Angeles, CA) | AMBZ |
| 34 | Imperial Brands PLC | IMBBY |
| 35 | Foran Mining Corporation | FMCXF |
| 36 | Glass House Brands Inc. | GLASF |
| 37 | Danone | DANOY |
| 38 | Farmers & Merchants Bancorp | FMCB |
| 39 | Roche Holding Ltd | RHHBY |
| 40 | Altius Minerals Corp. | ATUSF |
| 41 | Paladin Energy Ltd. | PALAF |
| 42 | Deutsche Lufthansa AG | DLAKY |
| 43 | Infineon Technologies AG | IFNNY |
| 44 | Telenor ASA | TELNY |
| 45 | Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach (CA) | FMBL |
| 46 | J Sainsbury plc | JSAIY |
| 47 | Repsol S.A. | REPYY |
| 48 | Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. | ADRNY |
| 49 | Trulieve Cannabis Corporation | TCNNF |
| 50 | FORTESCUE LTD. | FSUGY |
Investors who want to examine how the ranking breaks down across the list can explore the 2026 OTCQX Best 50 Companies by placement band.
#What is the OTCQX Best 50?
The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking published by OTC Markets Group. It highlights 50 securities trading on the OTCQX market tier that have demonstrated strong performance across a defined set of market-based criteria during the prior year.
OTCQX is the highest tier of the OTC Markets. Companies trading on OTCQX must meet ongoing financial standards, governance requirements, and disclosure obligations.
As a result, the Best 50 is drawn from a universe that has already been screened for baseline quality and transparency.
The ranking is recalculated each year. Inclusion is not permanent, and companies may enter or leave the list based on changes in trading activity, performance, or compliance status.
#Why the Ranking Exists
The OTCQX Best 50 exists to provide insight into trading behavior within the OTCQX market.
- It provides a reference point for market participants seeking to understand where capital concentration has occurred.
- It highlights issuers that have attracted sustained investor attention without migrating to a national exchange.
- It reinforces the distinction between OTCQX and lower OTC market tiers.
Liquidity in OTC markets can be uneven. Many securities trade sporadically, while a smaller subset accounts for a disproportionate share of volume and dollar value traded.
The ranking answers a specific question:
Which OTCQX securities demonstrated sustained trading activity and relative price performance over the measurement period?
It does not attempt to identify the most attractive businesses, the strongest balance sheets, or the best long-term opportunities. Its value lies in aggregation and signaling, not forecasting.
#How the Ranking Is Constructed, Conceptually
The OTCQX Best 50 is compiled using standardized, quantitative criteria applied consistently across eligible OTCQX securities.
At a high level, the ranking considers:
- One-year total return
- Average daily dollar volume
- Market capitalization
- Trading consistency
- Eligibility and compliance with OTCQX standards
Securities must demonstrate both performance and liquidity. A stock that rises sharply but trades infrequently is unlikely to qualify, as is a liquid security with weak returns.
The ranking reflects historical data only. No forward-looking assumptions are applied.
While OTC Markets Group does not disclose proprietary formulas, the methodology is designed to emphasize comparability, consistency, and resistance to short-term distortions.
#Why Liquidity Matters in This Context
Liquidity is central to understanding the OTCQX Best 50.
Many OTC securities trade with limited depth, wide bid-ask spreads, and irregular price discovery. By emphasizing dollar volume and trading frequency, the ranking filters for securities where execution risk is lower than the OTC average.
This does not eliminate liquidity risk, but it helps distinguish between securities that trade sporadically and those that support more reliable market participation.
For investors, this distinction can matter more than raw returns. Gains that cannot be realized due to poor liquidity remain theoretical.
#Scope and Design Limitations of the OTCQX Best 50
The OTCQX Best 50 is a rules-based ranking with a deliberately narrow scope.
It is not an index and is not designed for benchmarking or passive investment strategies. It does not assess valuation, earnings quality, balance sheet strength, or long-term business fundamentals.
The ranking also excludes qualitative judgments about management quality or competitive positioning.
Many investable OTC securities never appear on the list, particularly thinly traded companies, foreign issuers with limited U.S. trading activity, or companies in transitional reporting periods.
These limitations reflect what the ranking was built to measure and what it was designed to leave out.
#Common Misinterpretations to Avoid
A frequent mistake is treating inclusion as evidence of superior fundamentals. The ranking reflects trading behavior, not financial strength.
Another common error is assuming persistence. Membership changes from year to year, and shifts in liquidity or trading activity can quickly alter eligibility.
Investors may also assume comparability across the list. Securities ranked in the Best 50 span different industries, regions, and regulatory environments. Similar placement does not imply similar risk profiles.
These misinterpretations arise from reading the ranking as an evaluative tool rather than a descriptive one.
#How Investors Should Use the OTCQX Best 50
The ranking is best used as a starting point.
It can help investors identify where liquidity and disclosure standards have aligned within the OTCQX market and provide context for evaluating individual securities.
It can also help contextualize individual securities. A company included in the Best 50 operates in a different market environment than a thinly traded OTC Pink issuer, even if both are technically OTC securities.
However, it does not replace due diligence. Financial statements, jurisdictional considerations, capital structure, and business fundamentals remain essential.
Used responsibly, the ranking narrows the field rather than making decisions.
#Market Context in 2026
OTCQX requires issuers to meet disclosure standards, maintain minimum bid prices, and work with qualified advisors.
Many OTCQX companies are foreign issuers using U.S. markets for secondary trading, while others are domestic firms that choose OTCQX for strategic or cost reasons.
The OTCQX Best 50 reflects activity within this specific ecosystem. It is not intended as a comparison to Nasdaq or NYSE-listed companies.
#Observed Themes in the 2026 Ranking
Several broad patterns emerge from the 2026 ranking.
Continued Emphasis on Trading Quality
The 2026 ranking continues to favor securities with stable trading behavior rather than those driven by short-lived spikes. This suggests a market preference for reliability over volatility.
Cross-Border Representation
Foreign issuers remain well represented, reflecting OTCQX’s role as an access point for international companies meeting U.S. disclosure standards.
Sector Concentration Without Dominance
Certain sectors appear more frequently, often those with tangible assets, regulated operations, or established cash flows but no single sector dominates the ranking.
Market Capitalization Clustering
Most ranked securities fall within a middle capitalization range relative to OTC markets. Extremely small or very large issuers are less common. This reflects the interaction between liquidity thresholds and investor participation rather than deliberate size targeting.
#What the Ranking Does Not Reveal
The ranking does not address valuation, downside risk, or governance quality beyond baseline OTCQX requirements.
Past liquidity does not guarantee future trading conditions.
Investors should treat missing information as neutral rather than positive.
#Using the Ranking in Portfolio Construction
For diversified portfolios, the OTCQX Best 50 can help identify securities that may be easier to trade within the OTC environment.
It may inform position sizing or support watchlist development rather than direct allocation decisions.
#OTCQX Best 50 and Market Signaling
At a market level, the ranking shows where investor attention has already concentrated.
It reflects outcomes of past trading behavior, not guidance for future decisions.
#Final Perspective
The OTCQX Best 50 remains a relevant reference point in 2026 because it aggregates liquidity, performance, and compliance within a complex market structure.
Its value lies in what it filters out rather than what it predicts.
Used carefully, it provides context. Used carelessly, it can create misplaced confidence.
For financially literate investors, understanding that distinction allows the ranking to serve as a clear and useful starting point to investment research.