A number of different investments can be considered an example of high risk common stocks. When a company is under priced according to prior market activity, it is a high risk common stock. Likewise with companies experiencing legal difficulties. These could go either way depending on the outcome of a case. Penny stocks, any common stock with a value under a few dollars, are also considered to be a high risk investment. However, as history has shown, many of these low value stocks ultimately create large dividends for their owners. For example, during the 1990s, Microsoft traded at roughly $2.50. By the early 2000s, the common stock was valued at or near $50 per share. In this case, the high risk paid off for investors.