Shares Explained

Shares and the stock market explained simply!

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How do I read a stock quote?

Want to know how to read a stock quote? Its easier than you think. In the US the quote is in dollars and in the UK the quote is in pence.

US Example

MSFT (Microsoft)
bid price 19.75
ask price 19.80
last price 19.75

As you buy at the ask price, buying 1 Microsoft share would cost you $19.80, 100 shares would cost you $1980. If you sell shares, that happens at the bid price, so you would yield $1975 for selling 100 shares in this example.

UK Example

TSCO (Tesco)
bid price 363.00
ask price 363.10
last price 363.00

Buying 1 Tesco share would cost you £3.63, 100 would cost you £363.10p. Selling 1 Tesco share would bring in £363.00; sale of 100 shares would bring in £363.00p.

Next steps

The best way to become good at reading stock quotes is to stop studying and start trading with a free practice account. There’s no risk because practice accounts allow you to use virtual money before moving onto real money. We’ve put together reviews of all the major online practice accounts, to help you decide which one’s right for you.

Click here to see our practice account reviews…

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Recommended for Beginners: Plus500

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Your capital may be at risk if you fund your account with your own money – that's why we always recommend you start out with a Plus500 practice account to get good at trading first!

Read our full review of plus500...

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Stock Market Basics

Shares explained
Stock charts explained
Stock dividends explained
Stock Split Explained
Stock attributes
Why do shares move up and down?
How do I read a stock quote?
Understanding company financial statements
Rights issue of shares

The Process of Buying Shares

The process of buying shares
Why buy shares
Age limit for trading shares
Custodial account
Tax rules on shares
Styles of trading
Buying (going long)
Shorting stock (going short)
Stop losses explained
Picking shares
Fundamental analysis
Technical analysis
Portfolio/Watchlist
Practice accounts
Brokerage accounts
Trading software
Newsletters

Stock Market Basics

Stock market explained
Stock exchanges
Indexs
Sectors
Bull/bear market
What market to buy shares
Factors that affect the stock market
When does the stock market open?

Stock Market Games

Stock market 60
Stock market suicide

Stock Market Trading Guide

Step by step guide to trading shares
Trading software
Newsletters/tipsites
5 golden rules when trading shares
The risk:reward ratio
Leverage

Advanced Stock Market Trading

IPO (Initial Public Offering)
Automated trading
Bonds/gilts
Exchange traded funds (ETF's)
FOREX
Mutual Funds
Penny shares
Spread betting
Options Explained

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