The answer to “how much does it cost to invest in the stock market?” depends on a number of factors including but not limited to the kind of investor you are, the type of stock you buy and the company you choose to invest in. The stock market is risky business because the probability of you losing money is high. That is the reason why you need to understand the fundamentals of the business before you invest. Before you can determine the cost of investing in the stock market, you will have to understand how it works.
What Is the Stock Market?
Stock market is the buying and selling of stock (shares) of a company. The shares are securities that are listed on the stock exchange. Once you buy the stocks of a company you automatically become a shareholder in the company. You will earn from the stock you bought in two ways; first through the dividends that are paid by the company to the shareholders. The second way you earn money is through the appreciation of the company. Depending on the type of stocks you bought, the dividends are usually calculated on a fixed rate or variable rate.
The Different Types Of Stocks Can Affect How Much It Costs
When it comes to calculating how much it costs to invest in the stock market, you will have to determine the type of stocks you are buying. There are different types of stocks and they all have different market value.
Common Stocks; These are securities that represent ownership of a company. Once you buy these stocks you will have a right to vote at any shareholder meeting. The common stock shareholders however, are usually at the bottom of the priority ladder. This means if the corporation goes bankrupt, the common shareholders will only receive their money after the creditors and the preferred shareholders. In terms of cost these stocks have a less yield.
Preferred Stocks; These stocks give you a little ownership of the company but you don’t get any voting rights. The preferred stock shareholders usually receive dividends that are calculated on a fixed rate. The preferred stocks have a higher yield per stock as compared to the common stocks.
Penny Stocks; these are usually referred to as common stocks of the small public companies. The penny stocks are usually priced at $5 and below.
Factors That Affect Stock Prices
The price of a stock influences how much it will cost to invest in the stock market. It is thus important to understand the factors that affect the stock prices.
Company Performance
This is the major factor that influences the thcb stock stock prices. The company performance, refers to the company earnings, both current and future earnings. The performance of the company may be affected by factors like employees’ layoff, change in company management, a new service or product, scandals and many more. These internal factors directly influence the price of a stock.
Inflation And Deflation
Both of these factors directly affect the stock market. Inflation is where the prices of goods and services rapidly go up. This causes the cost of manufacturing and transporting of goods to go up. In an event of inflation, the stock market drops due to the decrease in revenue. Deflation on the other hand is usually the drop in the prices of goods and services. While deflation is supposed to be a good relief, most investors don’t invest in the stock market. This is because they believe that the economy is weak. This causes the stock market to drop.