Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Newsletter

Share BAMagazine

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn

What are stocks?

Stocks are intangible rights to ownership in a corporation. The owner of the stock, called stockholder or shareholder, has the right to vote on matters like elections for board members and dividends.

Stocks can be sold on the open market through brokers, who buy shares from sellers and sell them to buyers; this is similar to other privately held assets. If the stocks go up in value, you sell them and make a profit. If stocks fall in value, you watch your investment decline.

  1. Stocks are small pieces of a corporation’s ownership equity. They give investors the right to vote as well as a residual claim on company profits in the form of capital gains and dividends.
  2. Individuals and institutions trade shares on stock exchanges, which are located throughout the world.
  3. Share prices are determined by supply and demand as buyers and sellers place bids and offers.
  4. To maintain an orderly market, specialists or market makers might keep order flow and bid-ask spreads.
  5. Companies may gain liquidity and raise capital through listing on exchanges, but they can also face higher expenses and increased regulation.

What happens when you invest in stocks?

When you buy a stock, you become a member of the company’s ownership. Ownership shares are what stocks represent. They may also be known as equity shares. The return on investment, and it is determined by the company’s success, is what you can make or lose on a stock.

After investing, you watch the news for company or industry related changes that could affect the stocks price. For example, if a drug is approved to treat a disease, you might expect the stock in a pharmaceutical company to go up. When stocks go up in value it’s called “capital gains,” when stocks fall in value it is called a “capital loss.”

What stocks can do for you?

Stocks allow investors to own shares of companies without having to buy the entire company all at once which is often impossible because most companies are too expensive to buy. Do you want to know more fast, then check this 5 minute video.

Do stocks have any limits?

There are limits to how much stock you can buy or own. Stocks are classified in different classes, so you can only buy stocks in the class that your broker allows. Your ownership stake is also limited to the number of stocks owned. If a company goes bankrupt, then the stocks become worthless pieces of paper.

Reasons to invest in stocks

For some people, stocks are more stable than other forms of investments. A stocks price will not change as quickly as that of a bond or mutual funds because stocks are tied to the performance of one particular company.

  1. Stocks tend to have higher returns compared with bonds and cash over time, but there is more risk involved, too. While stocks may be good for your retirement fund, stocks risk dirtying your nest egg.
  2. Another reason to invest in stocks is when you want to make a big purchase or have an emergency fund. In these cases stocks will help you save money for the future, while still having access to your cash if you need it.

Reasons not to invest in stocks

Stocks are risky investments, stocks move up and down more than any other type of investment, apart from cryptocurrencies.

  1. During financial crises stocks will lose value quickly.
  2. Stocks are not liquid, meaning it can be difficult to sell stocks in times of need if you must use the cash immediately.
  3. Stocks also require a lot of research and time to review the fundamentals of many different stocks before buying any one particular stock.
 
etoro logo

Our score
★★★★★

degiro logo

Our score
★★★★★

ig logo

Our score
★★★★★

Table of Contents

BAMagazine authors

Rebecca Nunes
Rebecca Nunes

Rebecca has a passion for cryptocurrencies and is happy to tell you more about them

Freddy Agard
Freddy Agard

Freddy writes a lot about the stock & equity market and its various options

Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison

Josh has been running in the world of cryptocurrencies since the early days.

Stephen Johnson
Stephen Johnson

Stephen knows a lot about financial products, he writes on several topics

Best rated stocks

Paying for stocks

Stocks are bought and sold on markets, which automatically sets the price as buyers offer to pay a certain price and sellers offer their stocks at that price or higher. In order to participate in these markets, you have to have a online broker who will buy stocks from you when you want to sell them. You can then buy stocks from that same broker when you want to buy stocks.

Different marketplaces for stocks, depending on the size of company

For stocks listed on major exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), there are stocks, which are typically large companies with stocks priced over $3 per share.

What stocks you can buy?

Around the world, stocks are a popular way to invest because there is a lot of detailed information about businesses on stock exchanges. If you live in a country with only one stock exchange, stocks may be hard for you to buy or sell. Your best bet is likely to go through an online broker since stocks may not be traded in person. Want to do some more research, then check which stocks are best to buy right now.

Large cap stocks

Large cap stocks are the stocks of the largest companies on the stock market. These are typically well-established, stable businesses with a large customer base and a long history of profitability. Large cap stocks offer stability and liquidity, making them a popular choice for investors.

Oil stocks

Oil stocks are usually large companies that work in the oil and gas sector. They can include integrated oil and gas companies, which both produce and refine petroleum, as well as pure-play oil and gas firms dedicated to exploration and production.

Gold stocks

Gold mining companies or gold stock is a business involved in the mining of gold and other precious metals. The mining of gold can be a very expensive and risky proposition, so these stocks tend to be volatile.

Technology stocks

Technology stocks are companies that operate in the technology sector. This can include firms in the computer hardware, software, and telecommunications industries. These stocks are often seen as high-growth investments due to the rapid pace of technological change.

Biotech stocks

Biotech stocks are shares in companies that develop, produce and sell treatments and therapies for medical purposes. These firms often focus on cutting-edge, innovative treatments that may not have yet been approved by government regulators.

Emerging market stocks

Emerging market stocks are shares in companies that are based in developing countries. These economies tend to be less developed than those of developed countries, and the stock markets tend to be less liquid.

Emerging market stocks offer the possibility of higher returns for risk taking investors, but are considered significantly more risky than stocks in developed markets.

Small Cap stocks

Small cap companies have a market capitalization of between $300 million and $2 billion. These can be very small businesses with minimal resources or large venture-backed startups.

Hydrogen stocks

Hydrogen stocks are investments in companies that are working to develop a viable hydrogen economy. This is an emerging sector that holds great promise for the future, as hydrogen can be used to store and transport energy with far fewer emissions than traditional fuels.

5G stocks

5G stocks are investments in companies that are working to develop a fifth generation wireless network. This would be the next advance in mobile technology, following 3G and 4G rollouts.

FAANG stocks

FAANG stocks are a grouping of five companies that represent the major tech and internet players on the stock market. The acronym stands for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet (the parent company of Google).

Blue chip stocks

Blue chip stocks are the most stable and reliable investments on the stock market. These are typically large, well-established companies with a long history of profitability. Blue chip stocks offer stability and liquidity, making them a popular choice for investors.

EV stocks

Electric vehicle (EV) stocks are companies that develop, manufacture and sell electric cars. These tend to be high-growth investments due to the rapid pace of development in this field.

How stocks are sold?

When stocks are sold, the buyer must pay for them before they own them. When stocks are bought and sold on exchanges, this is done automatically by a computer system that keeps track of how many shares of stocks people want to buy and sell. This system or “exchange” automatically matches up buyers with sellers.

What stocks are worth versus their price?

Most stocks are “worth” what the market believes they’re worth at any given time. For stocks, this is because stocks can be bought and sold on stock exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). There, stocks are bought and sold by brokers who work for a stock brokerage firm.

On the other hand, stocks do not have listed prices like stocks on the NYSE. Instead, stocks are traded by traders who make deals with each other through brokers and agents instead of directly from one another — much like an estate sale or antique dealer making deals outside a flea market.

etoro logo

Our score
★★★★★

degiro logo

Our score
★★★★★

ig logo

Our score
★★★★★

Recent News

Frequently asked questions

The most common way to buy and sell shares is by using an online broking service or a full service broker. When shares are first put on the market, you can buy them via a prospectus. You can also buy through an employee share scheme, or invest indirectly through a managed fund.

To invest in stocks (or sell them) you need a broker to do it for you. A broker is a person (or a company) that is authorized to buy and sell shares in the market. You tell him what and how much you want to buy or sell and he does it for you, in exchange for a small commission.

Technically speaking, there’s no minimum amount of money required to start buying stocks, as most of the best online brokerages don’t have a minimum deposit requirement to open an account.

There are no rules preventing you from taking your money out of the stock market at any time. However, there may be costs, fees or penalties involved, depending on the type of account you have and the fee structure of your financial adviser.

In summary, when you buy a stock, you’re buying a fraction of a company, and that fraction may pay dividends and gain you voting rights. Still, the main way people benefit from stocks is by buying and holding them for the long term. Investing legend Warren Buffett recommends holding stocks for decades.

It should be noted that investing in stocks is often risky due to the high volatility of the market, however, if the risks are well managed, the investor can take advantage of the stock market to secure his financial position and make money.

Best picks for december

Top dividend stocks

All stocks we wrote about

What is BAMagazine about?

BAMagazine is a website where you can research stocks, cryptocurrencies, get investment tips and find the latest news about financial markets.

  • Our comparison tools, research articles and reviews are easy to read, use and totally independent. This makes sure that you know everything from A to Z about your potential investment.
  • Our financial review and comparison site is aimed at the entire European market. This means that we compare products and services online on the most important features. In addition, with us you quickly know where and how to buy stocks or cryptocurrencies.

Our mission

We believe that no one should have to pay too much unnecessarily for their financial products. Therefore, we make it easy for you to find realiable, trusted brokers that can help you with specific investments like stocks and cryptocurrency.

Helping you with investing

If you have difficulty making a investment choice, our comparison option will help you on your way. Another option is reading one of our in depth reviews or guides to gain more information about certain investments or brokerages.

en_USEnglish