A stock is a kind of general term which used to explore the ownership certificates of any company. When the stock of a company is sold in units, it is called shares. A shareholder is one who holds a company’s share. It gives a shareholder a unit of ownership in a corporation or company.

To put in simple words, buying a share of a company means you are purchasing a piece of the company. Buying more than one share is called stock. Companies sell these units on the stock market to raise more capital without borrowing from the banks. Stocks and shares both are traded all over the world in various stock markets.

The stock market has emerged as an excellent economic indicator of the country’s financial health. It indicates how all sort of listed companies are doing great and taking their profit to the next level benefiting others as well. Investors are showing interest in these companies, and they are also buying stocks, stock options, and stock mutual funds. According to the experts, share market holds the power to predict what it would be the economy in future.

Type of shares

There are various types of stocks and shares and investors can go with the right one after examining their financial needs and other aspects.

• Based on Ownership Rights, there are two prominent types known as the Preferred Stock and Common Stock.
• Based on company specifics, there are many types including Blue-Chip Stocks, Income Stocks, Value Stocks, and Growth Stocks.
• Based on the size, there are particular types of shares including large cap, mid cap or small cap.
• Based on style, there are two types of shares known as growth and value.

Selecting an online broker or full-service brokers for buying stocks and shares

Online brokers

Since we all have become digital, the same is also going on in the share market. Most people are preferring online brokerage in comparison to full-service stockbrokers. Online brokerage means you are allowed to go with little money to open your account as the cost generally depends on a per transaction/share basis. People nowadays are loving it since they can even go with little money. There is a comprehensive range of online brokers that include the following:

• TD Ameritrade
• Charles Schwab
• E*Trade
• Optionshouse.

The best thing is that they are quite easy to use and you would not have any trouble even if you are a beginner. It is very much similar to opening a bank account. You just need to sign up for your online account and transfer funds to it. After that, you can go ahead to place an order. You may choose the stocks in which you are interested and hold enough knowledge of or you may also go with a search filter to come up with stock by criteria.

Full-service brokers

They are traditional stockbrokers with whom you can discuss all stock market in a discreet manner. They suggest you the best according to your financial situation. They check out various factors right from marital status, lifestyle, personality, risk tolerance, age, income, assets, debts and more. They also put the best efforts to carve out the right financial plan that can target your investment goals and objectives smoothly. Moreover, they can also assist you in various things like tax advice, retirement planning, budgeting, financial advice. They can even manage all of your financial needs now and in future too if you need. These types of brokers are ideal for them who are looking for one-stop solutions. Generally, they are quite expensive in comparison of discount brokers as they are imparting a wide range of service.

Most expensive stocks and shares

The stock market does not only benefit individuals but also play a major to contribute to the nation’s economy. This is why the country’s financial market is considered quite sophisticated. They are making it easy for the companies to go public in comparison to other countries. They are putting the best efforts to build up with the trust of investors all across the world. The US market is fetching the attention of the most investors to invest in stocks and shares.

• Seaboard Corporation
• Amazon
• White Mountains Insurance Group
• Intuitive Surgical
• AutoZone
• Cable One
• Graham Holdings
• Alleghany Corporation
• NVR, Inc.
• Priceline.com
• Berkshire Hathaway
• Markel Corporation
• Alphabet, Inc.
• Mettler-Toledo

There are many advantages of investing in stocks and shares. It plays a crucial a role to grow the economy, to stay ahead of inflation and to let the individuals make money in two ways. Moreover, this is easy to buy and sell a share of the company as online brokers option is also available.

Seven popular buying stocks and shares for 2018

Are you looking forward to buying stock to get a great return in 2018? Seven popular ones have been listed here.

• Alibaba Group Holding
• Ryanair Holdings PLC
• Traveler companies
• Delphi Automotive PLC
• Facebook
• Customers Bancrop
• Store capital corp