A stock is a unit of ownership in a publicly-held company. Companies issue shares to raise money and expand their business. Stock prices rise or fall based on investor demand and perceptions of the company’s growth potential.
Companies may also issue different classes of stock, which carry different rights and responsibilities for investors. For example, common stock typically gives investors voting rights at shareholder meetings and entitles them to receive company dividends. Preferred stock generally doesn’t grant voting rights, but may give preferred shareholders a priority in receiving dividend payments or liquidation proceeds before other classes of investors.
A company’s share price can be influenced by what other companies in the market are doing and by what’s going on in the economy as a whole. The price of a stock can also be affected by how well the company’s management is running it and the expectations of investors regarding future earnings.
Investors buy and sell stocks for a variety of reasons, including the potential to grow the value of their investment over time and the possibility of profiting from short-term stock price fluctuations. Investors should always evaluate a stock as part of their overall investment portfolio, and make sure that they understand the risks involved in investing in stocks.
Many factors can influence the performance of a stock, including what’s happening in the overall market, such as interest rates. Investors who are concerned about long-term trends in the stock market might want to invest in more stable, diversified investments, such as bonds.
One of the biggest ways that a company’s stock is valued is through the price-to-earnings ratio, which compares a company’s current stock price to its per-share earnings. This metric can help investors determine if the stock is a good bargain or not.
Other valuation methods use predictions of a company’s future cash flows and profits, to give an estimate of its intrinsic value. This is sometimes combined with a more market-based approach, in which case the stock’s price is judged by what other people are willing to pay for it.
The more people who want to buy a stock, the higher its price will be. The opposite is true: If more people are selling a stock than buying it, its price will decline. Investors who invest in a stock are betting that the company will be successful and generate substantial profits, which they will then be able to cash in or reinvest. For this reason, stocks are a major component of many investor portfolios. However, there are risks associated with investing in stocks, and even large, established companies can go bankrupt and lose all of their stock value. Therefore, it’s important for investors to develop a comprehensive financial plan that includes their desired investment horizon and level of risk tolerance before investing in stocks. If you’re interested in learning more about how to develop a financial plan, see our article on the fundamentals of creating an effective budget.
