How to buy Apple stock
How do I buy shares of Apple?
You can buy or sell Apple stock on your own by opening a brokerage account with one of the many brokerage firms. With a broker, you can open an individual retirement account, also known as an IRA, or you can open a taxable brokerage account if you’re already saving adequately for retirement in an employer 401(k) or other plans. There are two main options that meet the needs of most investors: online brokers and robo-advisors. If you want to purchase and manage your own investments, a brokerage account at an online broker is for you. Robo-advisors are likely a good fit for you if you’d like a low-cost alternative to hiring a human investment manager. Both offer retirement accounts and taxable brokerage accounts.
The easiest way to buy stocks is through an online broker. Today, many online brokers offer commission-free trading along with free tools and screeners, making it easier than ever to trade stocks on your own. Other options include using a full-service stockbroker or buying stock directly from the company.
If you’re just starting out, you may not want to commit to purchasing a whole share of AAPL stock. Instead, you may prefer to buy a portion of that share, called a fractional share. Some brokerages, such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, eToro, and Robinhood, allow you to buy these portions of traditional shares.
After opening your account, connect it with your bank checking account to make deposits, which are then available for you to invest in. Once funded, you simply need to go online or call your broker to place a trade. Stocks are designated by a unique ticker symbol, a one- to four-letter mnemonic assigned to a particular company. If you don’t know the ticker of Apple stock, it is easy to look it up online by searching via your broker. AAPL is the ticker for Apple Inc.
Before purchasing AAPL stock, spend some time thinking about your investment goals. annual reports (Form 10-K) and quarterly reports (Form 10-Q). You can find them on Apple’s investor relations site or by searching the SEC’s database.
When you’re ready to invest, you can opt to invest a lot of money at once or small amounts gradually over a long period of time, via dollar-cost averaging. Investing all of your money right away might yield higher returns than dribbling out smaller amounts over time. But if you’re looking to reduce your risk and control your emotions, or you fear that the market is heading for drop, then dollar-cost averaging could be a viable strategy – even if that means forfeiting some potential upside.
How to Invest in Apple with an Index Fund
It’s possible to build a diversified portfolio out of individual stocks, such as Apple stock, but doing so would be time-consuming — it takes a lot of research and know-how to manage a portfolio. Index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) let you purchase small pieces of Apple and many different stocks in a single transaction. It is generally a better choice for beginners. That means you won’t beat the market — but it also means the market won’t beat you.
Can I buy Apple stock if I live outside the U.S.?
This will depend on which broker you choose. Firstrade, TD Ameritrade, Lightspeed, Interactive Brokers, eToro, eOption, TradeStation, ZacksTrade, Charles Schwab, and Webull are all open to international investors, with varying restrictions and requirements.
