What exactly are stocks?

Question

and how do they work? and can anyone get them or do you have to have your own business

Answer 1

You can buy stocks in any company that is traded publicly.

Stock is a share in ownership in certain company.

You have to make an account to trade stocks on the stock market. You buy stocks you sell stocks... this is how it works.

Answer 2

im actually wondering that myself..

good luck!

Answer 3

Stocks are shares in a company, part ownership of a comany. Let say you start a company making hats, you put in money for inventory, expenses, and rent. You find you are a little short of money, so either you borrow money ( bonds) or you take on a partner. If you partner puts in the same amount you are equal partners, 50 50! If he puts in less he has less ownership. Now 5 years go by and your company is doing so well you and your partner want to expand but to do so would cost millions of dollars. Since you are a successful company that has been around awhile you raise this money by going public, that is selling shares, or pieces of the company to the general public. You keep 60% of the company for you and your partner, and you sell off 40% to the public in an IPO, and Intial public offering, to raise the funds needed. After the IPO the public owners can sell thier shares to anyone else, and this becomes a traded stock on one of the exchanges.

So owning stock in a compnay is being part owner of the company, to buy stock you usually go to a brokerage house or some companies will let you buy directly from them. Anyone in their right mind over 18 years of age can buy stock.

Answer 4

Anyone can get them through a stockbroker by phone, person or online.

Stocks are like company assets that are option to public to purchase.. so when you buy stock, you actually own part of the company.. but because of the mass volume of stocks, you most probably own less than 1% of the company...

Stocks can be affected by almost anything... from earning reports to news of a hurricane... it changes because of the demand of people buying and selling stocks... When alot of people buy the stock, there is a higher demand and the price of the stock will rise and vice versa. And because news do affect people, it will in turn affect their decision to buy and sell and hence affect the stock market.