Been looking at some solid under $20 plays that caught my attention, and honestly these might be worth your consideration if you're hunting for stocks with real upside potential.

First up is Galiano Gold. This is a gold mining outfit with operations in Ghana, and here's what's interesting - they're actually producing consistent volume. We're talking 134,000 ounces of gold in 2023, which beat their own targets. Now, gold prices have been on an absolute tear, up over 13% year-over-year and trading north of $1,300 per ounce. That's huge for a company like this. The stock itself jumped over 140% in a year, and when BMO Capital upgraded them from Market Perform to Outperform, it was a nice catalyst. The margins are tight though - net income took a hit in Q4 2023 compared to the year before - but the operational cash flow more than doubled, which tells you something about the underlying business strength. If you're looking for commodity exposure without paying crazy valuations, this is worth watching.

Then there's Viant Technology. Ad tech play with a focus on generative AI, which obviously has been getting a ton of investor attention lately. Their Q4 2023 numbers were pretty solid - revenue up 18%, gross profit up 41%. That's the kind of growth trajectory that gets people excited, especially in a space that's been profitable for them historically. The stock already ran 150% in the past year, so it's had a nice move, but if AI adoption in advertising keeps accelerating, there could be more room to run. It's one of those best stocks under $20 that gives you clean exposure to an actual growth narrative.

Last one is Blue Owl Capital. This is a business development company, so it's a different beast - they do lending, preferred stock, warrants, that kind of thing. What makes this interesting is the dividend yield sitting around 9.67% annually. That's genuinely attractive in today's rate environment. They beat expectations on investment income and earnings per share in their latest report, and the dividend has been climbing over the past couple years. Up 24% in a year is solid, especially compared to how some of their peers have performed. The dividend growth story is the real draw here.

So if you're building a portfolio with some under $20 exposure, you've got a commodities play, an AI/ad tech play, and a dividend-focused play. That's pretty decent diversification across different market drivers. Worth doing your own research, but these are the kinds of names that could give you some real upside if the thesis plays out.