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- You can buy Apple stock by setting up an account with an online brokerage.
- It is wise to look at a company’s performance and financials to make sure it is a safe investment.
- It is best to develop an investment strategy and regularly monitor your investment after you have purchased shares.
Technology giant Apple went public in the 1980s, listing its stock at $22 per share. The stock – which currently sits near $150 – has been falling steadily, breaking five times since 1980 and reaching $180.96 on January 3, 2022.
If you’re interested in adding Apple stock to your portfolio, you’ll have several options for doing so. This includes the financial advisor line. However, if you prefer to invest or trade on your own, you can start with an online brokerage.
1. Set up a brokerage account
To invest in Apple, retail investors need accounts that qualify as securities; These are called brokerage accounts, explains Andre Jean-Pierre, investment advisor and managing director at Aces Advisors Wealth Management.
“These accounts can be taxable or non-taxable; taxable accounts – also called non-qualified accounts – are funded with after-tax dollars, which allow you to buy and sell stocks and other securities.”
A brokerage account makes it easy to access the market, allowing you to invest in stocks, options, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds, and more. Individual accounts are generally the best option for you, but you’ll want to use a joint account if you plan to invest with a partner. And while IRAs are another option, they may not be the safest option because Apple stock has had a volatile history.
Additionally, there are several online brokerages and investment platforms to choose from, but the best deals are $0 minimum requirements for self-directed trading, commission-free investing, web and mobile access. , and great customer support.
In addition, you can buy fractional shares depending on your brokerage. As of November 18, 2022, Apple’s current price is over $150, so it could be good for those who still want to show up without paying that much in part.
And if you prefer riskier options like ETFs, mutual funds, and index funds, you can still get Apple by focusing on funds — like the Vanguard 500 Index Fund, Simplify Volt Cloud and Cybersecurity Disruption ETF, and the Fidelity 500 Index Fund – which offers it.
2. Research Apple’s finances
It is important to do your due diligence on a company before becoming a shareholder. Multiple sources of information – including balance sheets, minutes of recent shareholder meetings, quarterly company earnings reports, income statements, and analytics the market – can help you make sure it’s in a good financial position.
“Apple is a good stock to buy for those who want a stable company that pays regular dividends [and] which is also growing in new markets,” said Jean-Pierre. “Although they are not growing as they used to, Apple is one of the companies I classify as Large-Cap Growth that pays dividends for owner too. the company.”
And while analyzing a stock’s historical performance is useful, you’ll also want to regularly check for news that affects the company and its industry. As we recently saw in 2022, the economy can also have a significant impact on the stock market, causing recessions and forcing investors to endure inflation and rising interest rates.
Both Apple and other blue-chip stocks like Tesla and Amazon have also been volatile, so it may not be a good choice for risk-averse traders or retirees.
3. Find out how much money to invest and place an order
How much you decide to invest or sell and how often you participate will depend largely on your personal goals, risk tolerance, and time frame. This varies from person to person, and it’s always wise to make sure you have an emergency fund before buying shares.
“Investing is very different from trading,” Jean-Pierre explains. Trading, he added, aims to complete the market as a whole by looking for price failures to take advantage of. “However, investing is about owning and reaping the long-term benefits of owning a business that is growing, so you can contribute financially to its growth.”
In addition, the type the order you use is important in getting the share price you want. Your order type basically tells your brokerage what price you want to execute. Basically you will have four types:
- Market structure: These orders are executed immediately, so your share price reflects the current value of your share. These orders do not allow you to set the value of the share you want to execute, so it is not a good idea for those who are looking to save money and beat the current market value.
- Limit orders: With limit orders, you can set a price limit for your shares. For example, if Apple is trading at $150, and you place a limit order for $148, the broker will only complete your order if the stock price drops to that price.
- Cancel the order: These are also called stop loss orders, and give you the power to set a stop price for your investment. If your stock reaches this price, it will become a market order and will be executed immediately.
- stop command: You can also set a stop price for Apple in this type of order, but the order will become a limit order when it reaches this price, executes at this price or better.
Once you’ve chosen your order type, you’ll be ready to buy your shares and develop an investment strategy to grow them.
4. Review your purchase and track your order
After you have placed your order for Apple shares, you want to verify that the brokerage has executed the order and that everything is in order. Following this process, it is wise to periodically review your investment to ensure that it is in line with your goals and expectations.
You’ll also want to build a solid portfolio strategy to keep your investments on track. Basically you have two options: Buy-and-hold and dollar averaging.
The first strategy is a more proactive approach to wealth building. You invest in stocks, and hold that investment until you’re ready to sell. With this approach, the hope is that the value of your investment will be significantly higher by the time you plan to cash out.
With the last strategy (the value of the dollar), you can gradually buy shares of Apple. Whether weekly, monthly, or yearly the frequency of these gifts is entirely up to you. But it’s also important to note that no method is immune to market fluctuations, so it’s wise to keep that in mind when investing.
“It’s important to know that over time, growing investments in companies that are doing well is a more sustainable path to prosperity than predicting weekly prices in the future.” known,” said Jean-Pierre.
How to sell Apple stock
Selling stocks is as simple as buying them. You can usually do this by going to the “trade” section of the investment platform’s website or mobile app. The platform will give you the option to sell either multiple shares or dollar amounts, although this may vary depending on the investment you are selling.
In addition, it is important to note that when you sell stocks, you will be responsible for the capital gains tax when tax season comes. And you’ll pay more or less, depending on how long you’ve held the investment. For example, the short-term capital gains tax applies to investments you’ve held for a year or less, while the long-term capital gains tax applies to those you’ve held for more than a year. Taxes on short-term capital gains are usually higher than taxes on long-term capital gains.
The bottom line
To get a share of Apple stock, you first need to set up a brokerage account. But before you place your order, it’s important to make sure you’ve done your homework on the company’s financials and historical performance. This can give you a better picture of whether the stock will be a worthwhile investment.
In addition, not only do you get a boost to Apple through individual stocks, but also the currency that Apple owns. But you want to make sure your strategy fits your overall tolerance, investment goals and budget.
