What is a stock?

You're buying a tiny piece of a real company.

A stock is a slice of a company

When you buy a stock, you're buying a tiny piece of a real business. Own one share of Apple and you literally own a (very small) part of Apple — its stores, its cash, its future profits.

Why companies sell pieces of themselves

Companies sell shares to raise money — to build factories, hire people, grow. In return, thousands of people each own a little slice. Add up all the slices and that's the whole company.

What you actually get

As a part-owner you benefit when the company does well: the piece you own can become worth more, and some companies even pay you a small slice of profits (called a dividend). You don't have to run anything — you just own a share of the outcome.

Continue with all learning paths.

For education only. Quoliv uses fake money and does not provide personal financial advice.