What are stocks?
A stock (or share) is a unit of ownership in a company. Buy real shares and you own a small slice of the business, with any dividends and voting rights that come with it; the value of your holding rises and falls with the company’s fortunes and the wider market.
Stocks are the market most people think of first, and they suit two very different styles: long-term investors who buy and hold real shares, and shorter-term traders who speculate on price moves — often with leverage — without owning the underlying.
How to trade stocks
There are two distinct routes. Investing means buying the real share, ideally commission-free, and holding it — you own the asset. Trading usually means share CFDs, which let you go long or short with leverage but give you no ownership, dividends or voting rights, and cost you overnight financing to hold.
Which is right depends on your goal. If you want to build a portfolio over years, real-share ownership at a low-cost broker is the tool. If you want to trade short-term moves in both directions, share CFDs give you that flexibility at the cost of leverage risk and financing.
Popular stocks instruments
Some of the most widely traded instruments in this market:
Best brokers for stocks trading
Every broker below is regulated and reviewed against the same six-pillar rubric. Scores are on a 0–10 scale — open a review to see the full breakdown and each figure’s source.
Stocks trading — frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between buying shares and trading share CFDs?
Buying a share makes you a part-owner with dividends and voting rights. A share CFD only tracks the price — you can go long or short with leverage, but you own nothing and pay financing to hold overnight.
Can I trade shares commission-free?
Several brokers offer commission-free real-share investing. Always check the surrounding costs — currency conversion, withdrawal and inactivity fees — because that is often where the real cost sits.
What leverage applies to share CFDs?
For EU and UK retail clients, single-share CFDs are capped at 1:5 — lower than indices or forex because individual shares are more volatile.
Risk warning: Trading stocks through leveraged products such as CFDs carries a high risk of rapid loss. The majority of retail investor accounts lose money. Consider whether you understand how these products work and whether you can afford the risk. Nothing here is investment advice.