HOW TO INVEST IN STOCKS: BEGINNER’S GUIDE
HOW TO INVEST IN STOCKS: BEGINNER’S GUIDE
In order to begin trading, you will require Demat and trading account,
both available with leading stockbrokers like
Angel One A Demat account will act as the common
repository that allows you to
store the shares you have purchased, whereas a trading account will facilitate
the actual buying and selling
activities.
Here is some basic information you should know before you can start
trading successfully in the Indian share market:
- The process of trading
- How to learn stock trading?
- Share market basics
- Bull market
- Bear market
- Long positions & short positions
- Electronic trading & floor trading
- Auction market & dealer market
- How much you should invest
- What should you base your decisions on?
- Know your rights
The process of trading
- When you buy a share using
your trading account, money is transferred out of your bank account, and
the share is transferred into your Demat account
- When you sell a share, it is
transferred out of your Demat account into the share
market. The money resulting from the transaction will be made available in your bank account.
How to learn stock trading?
Choosing an online trading
account
To begin trading in the stock market, an investor needs to register for
a trading account and a Demat account, which needs to be linked to the
investor’s bank account for online money transfer. This is an essential step if
you want to learn stock trading. This will familiarise you to the interface and
give you access to the trading tools as well as research which can only be
accessed by the clients of any stockbroking company. Know more about how
to open a Demat account and a trading account.
Before you open both the accounts, it is essential to check the
credibility and the credentials of the broking
firm. Moreover, the trading account should allow you to make online investments
in mutual funds, equity shares,
IPOs, and also in Futures and Options. Lastly, it should have secure interface
and protocols such that all your
transactions are safe and secure all the time.
Educate yourself
It is important that you know trading terms like buy, sell, IPO,
portfolio, quotes, spread, volume, yield, index,
sector, volatility, etc. before you place your first order in the stock market.
Read financial websites or join
investment courses to gain a better understanding of the stock market jargon
and related news.
Practice with an online stock
simulator
Using an online stock simulator is a good idea to practice your skills
at zero risk. By playing virtual stock market
games, you can increase your knowledge on investing strategies. Most of the
online virtual stock market games are
synchronized with market indices and stock values, thus giving you a real
experience of trading in stocks using
virtual money. This helps in understanding the working of the stock market,
without having to lose on stocks.
Choose the Low-Risk High-Reward
trading method
There are always ups and downs in the stock
market. Beginners often do more damage to their share trading
account by
expecting higher returns with high risks. As risk is unavoidable in online
share trading, low-risk high-reward
trading methods ensure that rewards are gained while risks are controlled.
Make a plan
As the old adage goes, fail to plan and you plan to fail. Those who are
serious about being successful, including
traders, need to have a strategy in place for investment and trading in the
stock market. It is of utmost
importance to make right investment decisions through your trading strategies.
Decide the amount you want to invest
and the time limit for which you want to hold the investments. Accordingly, you
can schedule your orders to buy and
sell, depending on the cash limits and exposure set by you as per the planned
strategy.
Find a mentor
Every successful investor has had a mentor at some point in their
investment journey. When you are new to the
investment world and have just started learning stock trading, it is essential
to find a person who has a fair
experience in this field and can guide you through your journey. Your mentor
can help you create a learning path,
recommend courses and study material, as well as keep you motivated through the
ups and downs of the market.
Online/In-person courses
There is a wide range of online and in-person courses available if a
beginner wants to learn trading. These courses
cover topics for investors/individuals at all stages of their stockbroking
journey. You can also opt for the
short-term stockbroking courses by NSE India.
Share market basics
As an Indian investor, the two share markets that you can trade in are:
- National Stock
Exchange (NSE)
- Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
The two depositories with which all depository participants are
registered are:
- National Securities
Depository Ltd (NSDL)
- Central Depository Service
Ltd (CDSL).
Two methods of trading
Trading is one of the methods of how
to invest money in the share market. It can be defined as active
form of buying and selling of securities with an intention to make profit.
Two types of trading:
In intraday trading or day trading, you must square off all positions
before the market closes. For intraday trading, you may avail the use of margins,
which is the funding provided by the broker to increase your exposure in the
stock market. It allows you to purchase/sell additional number of stocks, which
would otherwise require you to invest greater amount of funds.
Delivery trading involves buying the stocks and holding them for more
than one day, thus taking their delivery. It
does not involve the use of margins, and hence you must possess the funds for
your share market investments. It is
a more secure method of investing in the Indian share market.
Bull market
A bull market is a market condition
where there is a general trend of growth throughout the market. This is
characterised by a widespread optimism among the investors and a general
confidence that the prices will keep
rising.
A substantial rise in the stock prices is seen during the bull market. A
substantial decline in the stock prices
(typically 20%) is also observed before and after this period.
Between the period from April 2003 to January 2008, a major bull market
trend was observed for about five years in
Bombay Stock Exchange Index (BSE SENSEX) as it increased from 2,900 points to
21,000 points.
Bear market
A bear market is a market
condition where there is a general trend of decline throughout the market. This
is
characterised by a widespread pessimism and increased selling activity where
the investors anticipate a decline in
stock prices.
A substantial fall in the stock prices is seen during the bull market.
Typically, if a decline of about 20% from
the peak is observed over a span of several months, it is said that the market
has entered the bear period.
Long positions & short
positions
An investor is said to have long positions if he/she has bought the
shares and owns them. On the other hand, if an
investor owes these stocks to some other entity but does not own them, he/she
is said to have short positions.
For example, if an investor has bought 500 shares of Company X, then
he/she is said to be 500 shares long. This
takes into consideration that the investor has paid the full amount for these
shares. However, if the investor
shares 500 shares of Company X without actually owning them, he/she is said to
be 500 shares short. This often
happens when an investor borrows shares into his margin account from the
brokerage firm in order to make the
delivery. This investor now owes 500 shares and must purchase these shares in
the market to make a delivery at
settlement
Electronic trading & floor
trading
The process of purchasing shares was very long and tedious before
electronic trading had emerged.
Investor calls the broker to place an order
The broker calls the order clerk who then relays the order to a floor broker
The floor broker executes the order and transmits it to the order clerk who
then forwards it to the broker
Finally, the broker gives you a confirmation along with the fill of your order
With the emergence of electronic trading, the entire process of purchasing a
share can be executed within a few
seconds as opposed to the longer couple minutes’ time required with the
traditional floor or pit trading method.
Along with saving the time, the investor also has to pay a much lower brokerage
cost when buying shares from an
electronic platform.
Clearly, the emergence of an electronic trading platform has led to
steep decline in the number of floor brokers.
Auction market & dealer
market
An auction market is where the prices are dependent upon the lowest
price a seller is willing to accept for their
product/security and the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for that
product/security. The sellers post
competitive offers and the buyers post competitive bids. The matching bids and
offers are connected and the
transaction is made.
Example: There are 3 sellers willing to sell the shares of Company X at
Rs. 1200, Rs. 1250, and Rs. 1300. At the
same time, there are 3 buyers willing to buy the shares of Company X at Rs.
1400, Rs. 1350, and Rs. 1300. Thus,
only the order of the buyer number 3 and seller number 3 will be able to get
executed since they have both agreed
upon the same buying and selling price.
A dealer market, on the other hand, is where the dealers post their
selling and buying price. The dealers in such a
market are designated as the “market makers”. They display their prices
electronically, thus making the process
transparent.
Example: Dealer A owns some stocks of Company X that he is planning
off-load. Price quoted by other dealers is
1300/1400. However, the dealer A posts a price of 1250/1350. Here, investors
willing to buy the shares of Company X
will purchase it from dealer A since it is Rs. 50 cheaper than the price marked
by other dealers.
How much you should invest
How much financial risk you can tolerate should determine how much you
should invest. Your investments should not
endanger your savings. It is also important to diversify your portfolio and
utilize features such as stop loss to
minimize losses.
What should you base your
decisions on?
- Financial analysis:
Financial analysis is used to make inferences about
future share prices and
Overall health of a company using company reports and non-financial
information, such as industry comparisons and
estimates of demand for growth of the company’s products. It is important to
ask questions such as “What
advantage does this firm have over other firms?” or “Does it have a sizeable
market share?”
- Technical analysis:
Technical analysis involves the use of a
two-dimensional chart to map the
historical movement of prices. It uses historical values of share prices and
volume charts to make predictions
about future prices.
Using both types of analysis will allow you to make sound decisions.
Know your rights
Before entering into a contract with a broker, ensure that it is
registered with SEBI and that its credentials
support its claims. Ensure that you receive a ‘Statement of Accounts’ for funds
and securities settled every
quarter and documented proofs of all deposits that you make.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few stock types that
are good options for beginners.
- Well-established blue-chip
stocks will give a good return on your investment with attractive
dividends. Typically, these companies have a long history of profit.
- Another safe bet is stocks
of large companies. These stocks don’t get affected by minor market
volatility.
- Choose companies that are
generating profit. It means they can handle a market drawdown better.
Publicly traded companies periodically publish their financial statement
from which you can get an idea about their profitability.
- Exchange-traded funds or
ETFs are also good choices. These funds are tied to market indexes and go
up or down with the benchmark index.
As a beginner, steer clear of the
following stocks
- Penny stocks
- Cyclical stocks
Before investing, research the market and check a beginner’s guide to
the stock market.
Stock market guide for beginners
If you’ve been following our guide, it’s safe to assume
you would now be aware of the workings of the stock market.
But just knowing how it works isn’t enough to invest in the stock market.
You need to be aware of multiple techniques, features, do’s and don’ts of the
stock market as well. Here, we will delve deeper into the concept of stock
markets and its workings. We will discuss what a stock is, how to make money
from investing in stocks, how to invest in stocks and the Do's and Don'ts of
share trading.
Key Points
·
Stocks are primarily of two types: common and preferred.
·
An issue of bonus or extra shares to the stockholders is
referred to as bonus issue.
·
Don’t wait for the perfect time to enter into the stock market,
as there is no perfect time. Start as early as possible.
What is
Stock?
When you buy stock of a company in the stock market, you
become a part owner in the company and you have a certain level of claim over
part of its assets and earnings.
Stocks are primarily of two types: common and preferred.
·
Common stocks: When
you own common stock of a company, you gain the right to vote at the
shareholder’s meeting and to receive dividends.
·
Preferred stocks: In
case of preferred stocks you don’t have the voting right, but you will have a
higher claim on assets and earnings than the common stocks.
Stocks are also referred to as “shares” or “equity."
How do
I actually make money from investing in stocks?
When you trade in a stock market the prices of the stock
changes, as the stock prices are dependent on the perceived value of the stock
i.e. company. So when you see the stock price of a company rise, it indicates
someone, or many investors, are placing buy orders for that stock. However,
there are many market forces at play that impact the movement of a stock. This
is just one of the ways in which you make money investing in stocks. The
percentage increase in the stock price after you bought it will reflect the
same percentage of increase in your capital invested and vice-versa.
What is
bonus issue and dividend issue?
Another way in which you can make money through the stock
market is when the company in which you bought stocks, issues bonus shares or
dividends.
An issue of bonus shares to the stockholders is referred
to as bonus issue. A bonus issue is usually based upon the number of shares
that shareholders already own. A stock dividend is a dividend payment made in
the form of additional shares rather than payment in cash.
How to
invest in stocks
The steps you should follow before you invest in the
stock market are:
·
Get a PAN card: A
PAN card is must for you for any financial transaction in India. PAN is
required for opening a bank account, investing in the stock market and mutual
funds, filing Income Tax returns etc.
·
Get a broker: You
are not allowed to go directly to a stock exchange and trade in the stock
market. Get yourself a stock broker.
·
Open a demat and a trading account: You are
allowed to trade in the stock market only through demat and trading accounts.
You must have an active demat and a trading account before
you can invest in the Indian stock markets.
·
Trading: Now you can start trading in the stock market by just
being in contact with your broker and give buy and sell orders.
While these steps are essential before you start
investing in the stock market, they aren’t enough in themselves. You’d do well
to have proper knowledge of investing as well. Remember the do’s and don’ts of
trading in the stock market.
Do's
and Don'ts for share trading:
Do’s:
·
Start by virtual stock market investing app on
mobile or try out a stock investing desktop application before
trying the stock market. These virtual apps are useful for practice before
making an actual stock market investment.
·
You should invest ample amount of time for doing research on the
stock you want to buy. Buy shares when they are at a lower price and try to
understand the stock pattern.
·
Even if you have a small amount of money, start investing early
as you can take good advantage of compounding from an early stage.
·
Diversify your investment. Investing in various sectors lowers
your chances of loss.
·
Invest most of your money in the blue chip companies. They give
you low returns but lowers your risk of loss.
·
Keep yourself up to date with the latest news of the company you
are invested in.
Don’ts:
·
Don’t wait for the perfect time to enter into the stock market,
as there is no perfect time. Start as early as possible.
·
Don’t get carried away with the speculations, initial profits
and buzz.
·
The trading fees should be less than 2%. Otherwise, it can eat
up your profit.
·
Don’t invest more than your capacity and always set a budget for
investing.
·
Don’t be greedy, try to figure out the right time to sell your
stock.
·
Don’t get carried away and invest all your money in a particular
stock. You may face a huge loss.
Wrapping Up
·
You should strictly follow the do’s and don’ts, to invest
efficiently in the stock market.
·
After going through this article, you would have gotten a proper
idea of the workings of the stock market.
·
Try to start as early as possible. Read books, learn to invest,
learn how to do proper research and then you are all ready to invest.
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Share market investment tips
While the terms are used interchangeably, the share
market should not be confused with stock market. In a stock market, besides
shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and other derivative
contracts can be traded as well. When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn
a part of the profits made by the company in the form of dividends. If the
company suffers a loss, the investor too suffers a loss.
Key Points
·
In a stock market, besides shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and
other derivative contracts can be traded as well.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
Guide
for investing in the share market
If you are a beginner and you wish to invest in shares,
you first need to study them thoroughly and carefully. One must follow some
basic steps to begin investing:
·
Open a trading and a demat account. You cannot
be dealing in shares without having these.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task. Choose the right broker and deal only
with the one who is registered with SEBI. To make the process more simplified,
it will be better to get an online broker through authentic sites like Upstox. 🙂
·
The next most important task is researching and deciding on
which shares to buy.
·
After deciding you can inform your broker and they will perform
the trading on your behalf. Or, you can do it yourself using the online trading platforms that
your broker provides.
Buying and selling occurs through two exchanges (in
India) - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). You will need to choose one through
which you will buy/sell. In case you are not sure about certain aspects, your
broker should be available to help you out.
Tips
for investing in the Share Market
Some tips can be of help while investing in shares; in
case you are a beginner. The regular investors too should keep these points in
mind while trading. These tips can always prove to be helpful whenever you get
involved in the share market.
Getting
started
·
Always ensure that you possess all the documents required and
fill all the forms carefully to avoid any future hassle.
·
Try to choose the right broker and always give clear
instructions to your broker while performing a trade.
·
Make your own decisions. Perform your own research and avoid
listening to anyone and everyone.
·
Try not to pick highly fluctuating shares, except of course if
you are highly experienced and are aware what you are doing. More often than
not, people think that they can gain a lot too fast and instead they end up
losing a fortune.
Investing
·
Always try to diversify your investments. A company that is
rising might not always keep that position. Hence, invest in different places
so that if you end up losing in one, there is always a backup.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
·
Pick a strategy and stick with it. Planning is the key to right
investment. You need to plan your investment- how, when, why etc. Changing your
strategy mid-way can leave you frustrated and disheartened. You can always
conduct trial and error investments with small amounts that you can afford to
lose.
·
While planning, follow a long term approach. Short term investments
are occasionally risky. Following a long term approach might not give you
results immediately, but they are more likely to keep away unexpected losses.
This also helps in increasing your understanding of the market and helps you
make better and profitable decisions in the future.
·
Never ever let your emotions (greed and fear) dictate your
investments.
·
At the onset, set out the money you can invest keeping in mind
that you might lose all of it. This will help you in managing your funds more
carefully and wisely.
Wrapping Up
·
When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn a part of the
company’s profits in the form of dividends.
·
In India, buying and selling of shares occurs through two
exchanges - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
·
Remember to research well in advance to prior to placing your
first trade and diversify your investments.
Switch to the new Upstox
To search, select and shortlist from 5000+
stocks, easily - with Smartlists and Smart Filters
Enter your mobile number to get started
Get started
Share market investment tips
While the terms are used interchangeably, the share
market should not be confused with stock market. In a stock market, besides
shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and other derivative
contracts can be traded as well. When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn
a part of the profits made by the company in the form of dividends. If the
company suffers a loss, the investor too suffers a loss.
Key Points
·
In a stock market, besides shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and
other derivative contracts can be traded as well.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
Guide
for investing in the share market
If you are a beginner and you wish to invest in shares,
you first need to study them thoroughly and carefully. One must follow some
basic steps to begin investing:
·
Open a trading and a demat account. You cannot
be dealing in shares without having these.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task. Choose the right broker and deal only
with the one who is registered with SEBI. To make the process more simplified,
it will be better to get an online broker through authentic sites like Upstox. 🙂
·
The next most important task is researching and deciding on
which shares to buy.
·
After deciding you can inform your broker and they will perform
the trading on your behalf. Or, you can do it yourself using the online trading platforms that
your broker provides.
Buying and selling occurs through two exchanges (in
India) - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). You will need to choose one through
which you will buy/sell. In case you are not sure about certain aspects, your
broker should be available to help you out.
Tips
for investing in the Share Market
Some tips can be of help while investing in shares; in
case you are a beginner. The regular investors too should keep these points in
mind while trading. These tips can always prove to be helpful whenever you get
involved in the share market.
Getting
started
·
Always ensure that you possess all the documents required and
fill all the forms carefully to avoid any future hassle.
·
Try to choose the right broker and always give clear
instructions to your broker while performing a trade.
·
Make your own decisions. Perform your own research and avoid
listening to anyone and everyone.
·
Try not to pick highly fluctuating shares, except of course if
you are highly experienced and are aware what you are doing. More often than
not, people think that they can gain a lot too fast and instead they end up
losing a fortune.
Investing
·
Always try to diversify your investments. A company that is
rising might not always keep that position. Hence, invest in different places
so that if you end up losing in one, there is always a backup.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
·
Pick a strategy and stick with it. Planning is the key to right
investment. You need to plan your investment- how, when, why etc. Changing your
strategy mid-way can leave you frustrated and disheartened. You can always
conduct trial and error investments with small amounts that you can afford to
lose.
·
While planning, follow a long term approach. Short term investments
are occasionally risky. Following a long term approach might not give you
results immediately, but they are more likely to keep away unexpected losses.
This also helps in increasing your understanding of the market and helps you
make better and profitable decisions in the future.
·
Never ever let your emotions (greed and fear) dictate your
investments.
·
At the onset, set out the money you can invest keeping in mind
that you might lose all of it. This will help you in managing your funds more
carefully and wisely.
Wrapping Up
·
When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn a part of the
company’s profits in the form of dividends.
·
In India, buying and selling of shares occurs through two
exchanges - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
·
Remember to research well in advance to prior to placing your
first trade and diversify your investments.
Switch to the new Upstox
To search, select and shortlist from 5000+
stocks, easily - with Smartlists and Smart Filters
Enter your mobile number to get started
Get started
How does the stock market work?
The ‘Stock Market’ is probably one of the most commonly
thrown around terms when discussing investments. This shouldn’t be surprising,
since the stock market tends to give very competitive returns when compared to
other investments, a fact proven over the years by statistics. Plus, no one can
deny the fact that the stock market is one of the most important factors in a
country’s economy. People like Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch and Charlie Munger
have shown the world how stock market returns can be highly profitable.
So, how does the stock market work? In this article we will
delve into its intricacies. You will learn what the stock markets is, how the
stock exchange works for beginners and the steps to invest in the Indian stock
market.
Key Points
·
The stock market or the stock exchange is a market where you can
buy stocks, commodities and bonds.
·
When the owners of a business want to raise money for their
company, they issue their shares in the stock market.
·
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker passes
on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place.
What is
a Stock Market?
The stock market or the stock exchange is a place where
you can buy stocks, commodities, and bonds. It does not hold any shares of its
own, instead acts as a platform where investors can buy stocks from the stock
sellers. Think of it like a telephone exchange equivalent - instead of
connecting a caller and a receiver, it connects buyers and sellers.
A stock market is one of
the most important parts of a free-market economy. It is the place where a
company can offer you a slice of its ownership in exchange for capital you
invest in its stocks. You can purchase stocks of those companies that are listed
on the stock exchange.
What is
the purpose of a Stock Exchange?
When the owners of a business want to raise money for
their company, they issue their shares in the stock market. The stock market
allows you to buy shares of a company, and the capital you invest is used by
the owners of the company for different purposes - such as growth, maintenance,
R&D or even debt settlement. Without the stock market, these owners would
have to find large individual investors for their company. Let’s face it, there
are only a few Tatas, Ambanis and Warren Buffetts in this world. They won’t be
enough for all the companies who wish to grow in their business. Who will
invest in these companies? And how? That’s why modern times require a central
place where you can purchase and sell stocks of companies that you want to
invest in.
How
does the Stock Exchange work?
The stock market works mainly in two sections: the
primary market and the secondary market. The primary market is where the
company issues shares by way of IPOs (Initial public offerings) a process by
which the company raises capital. Institutional investors buy these shares from
investment banks and the price of the share, once it goes public, is determined
by the amount of shares being issued. The secondary market is where you buy
shares of the company. It is the secondary market in which we do all of our
trading in the stock market. In the secondary market, you as well as
institutional investors can buy stocks of a company from the stock market.
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker
passes on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place. In today’s times, all your orders are executed
electronically, which takes just a few minutes. When you trade in a stock
market, the prices of the shares change as the share prices are dependent on
the perceived value. It’s ultimately a classic case of demand and supply and
its impacts. So, when you see the stock price of a company rise, it means
someone or many investors are placing a buy order for that stock and shares of
that particular company are in demand.
How to
invest in the Indian stock market?
Here are some easy steps which you can follow to invest
in the Indian stock market:
·
Get a PAN card
A PAN card is essential for any financial transaction in India. PAN is required
for opening a bank account, investing in the stock market and mutual funds,
filing Income Tax returns etc.
·
Get a broker
As an individual trader, you are not allowed to go directly to a stock exchange
and trade in the stock market. You need to do this via a registered stock
broker.
·
Open a demat and a trading account
You’ll need a demat account to store
the securities you buy. You’ll also need a trading account before
you can trade in the Indian stock market.
·
Trade
With your demat & trading accounts in place, you can now start trading in
the stock market. Just contact your broker or access their online trading platforms to
place buy and sell orders.
Wrapping Up
·
Before investing in the share market, try some books to invest
efficiently and understand the stock market correctly such as “The Intelligent
Investor” by Benjamin Graham and “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton
Malkiel. You will get a detailed idea about the workings of the stock market.
·
Once you are done understanding the stock market, you can go
select your broker, and open your demat and trading accounts.
·
With those accounts set up, start trading!
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Share market investment tips
While the terms are used interchangeably, the share
market should not be confused with stock market. In a stock market, besides
shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and other derivative
contracts can be traded as well. When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn
a part of the profits made by the company in the form of dividends. If the
company suffers a loss, the investor too suffers a loss.
Key Points
·
In a stock market, besides shares, other securities like mutual funds, bonds and
other derivative contracts can be traded as well.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
Guide
for investing in the share market
If you are a beginner and you wish to invest in shares,
you first need to study them thoroughly and carefully. One must follow some
basic steps to begin investing:
·
Open a trading and a demat account. You cannot
be dealing in shares without having these.
·
You cannot directly approach the share market for buying/selling
shares, therefore you need a broker for this task. Choose the right broker and deal only
with the one who is registered with SEBI. To make the process more simplified,
it will be better to get an online broker through authentic sites like Upstox. 🙂
·
The next most important task is researching and deciding on
which shares to buy.
·
After deciding you can inform your broker and they will perform
the trading on your behalf. Or, you can do it yourself using the online trading platforms that
your broker provides.
Buying and selling occurs through two exchanges (in
India) - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). You will need to choose one through
which you will buy/sell. In case you are not sure about certain aspects, your
broker should be available to help you out.
Tips
for investing in the Share Market
Some tips can be of help while investing in shares; in
case you are a beginner. The regular investors too should keep these points in
mind while trading. These tips can always prove to be helpful whenever you get
involved in the share market.
Getting
started
·
Always ensure that you possess all the documents required and
fill all the forms carefully to avoid any future hassle.
·
Try to choose the right broker and always give clear
instructions to your broker while performing a trade.
·
Make your own decisions. Perform your own research and avoid
listening to anyone and everyone.
·
Try not to pick highly fluctuating shares, except of course if
you are highly experienced and are aware what you are doing. More often than
not, people think that they can gain a lot too fast and instead they end up
losing a fortune.
Investing
·
Always try to diversify your investments. A company that is
rising might not always keep that position. Hence, invest in different places
so that if you end up losing in one, there is always a backup.
·
Always be disciplined. There will be times when you will panic,
but be patient, because success does not have to be rapid.
·
Pick a strategy and stick with it. Planning is the key to right
investment. You need to plan your investment- how, when, why etc. Changing your
strategy mid-way can leave you frustrated and disheartened. You can always
conduct trial and error investments with small amounts that you can afford to
lose.
·
While planning, follow a long term approach. Short term
investments are occasionally risky. Following a long term approach might not
give you results immediately, but they are more likely to keep away unexpected
losses. This also helps in increasing your understanding of the market and
helps you make better and profitable decisions in the future.
·
Never ever let your emotions (greed and fear) dictate your
investments.
·
At the onset, set out the money you can invest keeping in mind
that you might lose all of it. This will help you in managing your funds more
carefully and wisely.
Wrapping Up
·
When someone becomes a shareholder, they earn a part of the
company’s profits in the form of dividends.
·
In India, buying and selling of shares occurs through two
exchanges - the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
·
Remember to research well in advance to prior to placing your
first trade and diversify your investments.
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How does the stock market work?
The ‘Stock Market’ is probably one of the most commonly
thrown around terms when discussing investments. This shouldn’t be surprising,
since the stock market tends to give very competitive returns when compared to
other investments, a fact proven over the years by statistics. Plus, no one can
deny the fact that the stock market is one of the most important factors in a
country’s economy. People like Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch and Charlie Munger
have shown the world how stock market returns can be highly profitable.
So, how does the stock market work? In this article we
will delve into its intricacies. You will learn what the stock markets is, how
the stock exchange works for beginners and the steps to invest in the Indian
stock market.
Key Points
·
The stock market or the stock exchange is a market where you can
buy stocks, commodities and bonds.
·
When the owners of a business want to raise money for their
company, they issue their shares in the stock market.
·
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker passes
on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place.
What is
a Stock Market?
The stock market or the stock exchange is a place where
you can buy stocks, commodities, and bonds. It does not hold any shares of its
own, instead acts as a platform where investors can buy stocks from the stock
sellers. Think of it like a telephone exchange equivalent - instead of
connecting a caller and a receiver, it connects buyers and sellers.
A stock market is one of
the most important parts of a free-market economy. It is the place where a
company can offer you a slice of its ownership in exchange for capital you
invest in its stocks. You can purchase stocks of those companies that are
listed on the stock exchange.
What is
the purpose of a Stock Exchange?
When the owners of a business want to raise money for
their company, they issue their shares in the stock market. The stock market
allows you to buy shares of a company, and the capital you invest is used by
the owners of the company for different purposes - such as growth, maintenance,
R&D or even debt settlement. Without the stock market, these owners would
have to find large individual investors for their company. Let’s face it, there
are only a few Tatas, Ambanis and Warren Buffetts in this world. They won’t be
enough for all the companies who wish to grow in their business. Who will
invest in these companies? And how? That’s why modern times require a central
place where you can purchase and sell stocks of companies that you want to
invest in.
How
does the Stock Exchange work?
The stock market works mainly in two sections: the
primary market and the secondary market. The primary market is where the
company issues shares by way of IPOs (Initial public offerings) a process by
which the company raises capital. Institutional investors buy these shares from
investment banks and the price of the share, once it goes public, is determined
by the amount of shares being issued. The secondary market is where you buy
shares of the company. It is the secondary market in which we do all of our
trading in the stock market. In the secondary market, you as well as
institutional investors can buy stocks of a company from the stock market.
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker
passes on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place. In today’s times, all your orders are executed
electronically, which takes just a few minutes. When you trade in a stock
market, the prices of the shares change as the share prices are dependent on
the perceived value. It’s ultimately a classic case of demand and supply and
its impacts. So, when you see the stock price of a company rise, it means
someone or many investors are placing a buy order for that stock and shares of
that particular company are in demand.
How to
invest in the Indian stock market?
Here are some easy steps which you can follow to invest
in the Indian stock market:
·
Get a PAN card
A PAN card is essential for any financial transaction in India. PAN is required
for opening a bank account, investing in the stock market and mutual funds,
filing Income Tax returns etc.
·
Get a broker
As an individual trader, you are not allowed to go directly to a stock exchange
and trade in the stock market. You need to do this via a registered stock
broker.
·
Open a demat and a trading account
You’ll need a demat account to store
the securities you buy. You’ll also need a trading account before
you can trade in the Indian stock market.
·
Trade
With your demat & trading accounts in place, you can now start trading in
the stock market. Just contact your broker or access their online trading platforms to
place buy and sell orders.
Wrapping Up
·
Before investing in the share market, try some books to invest
efficiently and understand the stock market correctly such as “The Intelligent
Investor” by Benjamin Graham and “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton
Malkiel. You will get a detailed idea about the workings of the stock market.
·
Once you are done understanding the stock market, you can go
select your broker, and open your demat and trading accounts.
·
With those accounts set up, start trading!
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Enter your mobile number to get started
Get started
How does the stock market work?
The ‘Stock Market’ is probably one of the most commonly
thrown around terms when discussing investments. This shouldn’t be surprising,
since the stock market tends to give very competitive returns when compared to
other investments, a fact proven over the years by statistics. Plus, no one can
deny the fact that the stock market is one of the most important factors in a
country’s economy. People like Warren Buffett, Peter Lynch and Charlie Munger
have shown the world how stock market returns can be highly profitable.
So, how does the stock market work? In this article we
will delve into its intricacies. You will learn what the stock markets is, how
the stock exchange works for beginners and the steps to invest in the Indian
stock market.
Key Points
·
The stock market or the stock exchange is a market where you can
buy stocks, commodities and bonds.
·
When the owners of a business want to raise money for their
company, they issue their shares in the stock market.
·
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker passes
on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place.
What is
a Stock Market?
The stock market or the stock exchange is a place where
you can buy stocks, commodities, and bonds. It does not hold any shares of its
own, instead acts as a platform where investors can buy stocks from the stock
sellers. Think of it like a telephone exchange equivalent - instead of
connecting a caller and a receiver, it connects buyers and sellers.
A stock market is one of
the most important parts of a free-market economy. It is the place where a
company can offer you a slice of its ownership in exchange for capital you
invest in its stocks. You can purchase stocks of those companies that are listed
on the stock exchange.
What is
the purpose of a Stock Exchange?
When the owners of a business want to raise money for
their company, they issue their shares in the stock market. The stock market
allows you to buy shares of a company, and the capital you invest is used by
the owners of the company for different purposes - such as growth, maintenance,
R&D or even debt settlement. Without the stock market, these owners would
have to find large individual investors for their company. Let’s face it, there
are only a few Tatas, Ambanis and Warren Buffetts in this world. They won’t be
enough for all the companies who wish to grow in their business. Who will
invest in these companies? And how? That’s why modern times require a central
place where you can purchase and sell stocks of companies that you want to
invest in.
How
does the Stock Exchange work?
The stock market works mainly in two sections: the
primary market and the secondary market. The primary market is where the
company issues shares by way of IPOs (Initial public offerings) a process by
which the company raises capital. Institutional investors buy these shares from
investment banks and the price of the share, once it goes public, is determined
by the amount of shares being issued. The secondary market is where you buy
shares of the company. It is the secondary market in which we do all of our
trading in the stock market. In the secondary market, you as well as
institutional investors can buy stocks of a company from the stock market.
When you place a buy order for a share, your stockbroker
passes on your order to the stock market. Once seller and buyer are fixed, the
exchange takes place. In today’s times, all your orders are executed
electronically, which takes just a few minutes. When you trade in a stock
market, the prices of the shares change as the share prices are dependent on
the perceived value. It’s ultimately a classic case of demand and supply and
its impacts. So, when you see the stock price of a company rise, it means
someone or many investors are placing a buy order for that stock and shares of
that particular company are in demand.
How to
invest in the Indian stock market?
Here are some easy steps which you can follow to invest
in the Indian stock market:
·
Get a PAN card
A PAN card is essential for any financial transaction in India. PAN is required
for opening a bank account, investing in the stock market and mutual funds,
filing Income Tax returns etc.
·
Get a broker
As an individual trader, you are not allowed to go directly to a stock exchange
and trade in the stock market. You need to do this via a registered stock
broker.
·
Open a demat and a trading account
You’ll need a demat account to store
the securities you buy. You’ll also need a trading account before
you can trade in the Indian stock market.
·
Trade
With your demat & trading accounts in place, you can now start trading in
the stock market. Just contact your broker or access their online trading platforms to
place buy and sell orders.
Wrapping Up
·
Before investing in the share market, try some books to invest
efficiently and understand the stock market correctly such as “The Intelligent
Investor” by Benjamin Graham and “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” by Burton
Malkiel. You will get a detailed idea about the workings of the stock market.
·
Once you are done understanding the stock market, you can go
select your broker, and open your demat and trading accounts.
·
With those accounts set up, start trading!
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What is NSE and BSE?
If you’re looking to become an investor, you may be aware
of stock markets, and stock exchanges, however, you may want to know what is
NSE and BSE? to understand that let first understand a Stock, a stock or a
share, can be considered as one part of the total parts of a company - so if
you own some stocks of a company, you’re a part owner. A share, therefore, has
some value, and so a company raises money by issuing shares to the public.
We’ve discussed this concept in detail in our post on IPOs.
Key Points
·
A stock exchange is an organized market, where traders can buy
and sell the shares of different companies.
·
Investors and traders connect to the exchanges via their
brokers, and place buy or sell orders on these exchanges.
·
A set of 50 stocks in the NSE (and 30 in the BSE) have been
selected, on the basis of their company’s reputation, market capitalization,
and significance, to be part of a weighted formula that gives us the ‘value’ of
the index.
Now, where does this issuance of shares occur? On a
platform, we call the stock exchange. A stock exchange is an organized market,
where traders can buy and sell the shares of different companies.
India has two main stock exchanges - the National Stock
Exchange (NSE) and the older Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Let’s learn more
about them.
NSE
introduction
The NSE or National Stock Exchange is the leading stock
exchange of India. It is the fourth largest in the world (based on equity
trading volume). Based in Mumbai and established in 1992, it was the first
stock exchange in India to offer a screen-based system for trading.
The NSE was initially set up with an aim to usher in
transparency to the Indian market system, and it has ended up delivering on its
aim quite well. With the help of the government, the NSE successfully offers
services such as trading, clearing as well as the settlement in debt and
equities comprising domestic and international investors.
BSE
introduction
The BSE or the Bombay Stock Exchange is a lot older than
its cousin. It was Asia’s first stock exchange. With a trading speed of 6
microseconds, the BSE is the fastest stock exchange in the world.
The BSE does have some interesting history. A man named
Premchand Roychand founded the Native Share and Stock Brokers Association in
the 19th century. In those times, it used to function in Dalal Street under a
banyan tree - where traders would gather together to buy and sell stocks.
Gradually, the network expanded and the exchange was established by the name of
Bombay Stock Exchange in 1875.
How
does NSE & BSE work?
The trading mechanism of both the NSE as well as BSE is
similar. Investors and traders connect to the exchanges via their brokers, and
place buys or sells orders on these exchanges. What makes them decide on their
trading strategy? You might have often heard the terms ‘Nifty’ and ‘Sensex.’
Both of them are indices - the former representing NSE and the latter BSE.
These indexes play an integral part in the working of these exchanges.
·
The indices are an indicator of the health of the stocks on
these exchanges (and given their scale, an indicator of the Indian economy’s
health too).
·
A set of 50 stocks in the NSE (and 30 in the BSE) have been
selected, on the basis of their company’s reputation, market capitalization,
and significance, to be part of a weighted formula that gives us the ‘value’ of
the index.
·
If anyone of these stock prices rise, the value of Nifty &
Sensex goes up. If the prices decline, so do Nifty & Sensex.
That’s all well and good, but what is the actual role of
these stock exchanges? What do they do?
·
Suppose a company wishes to raise money from investors, it first
needs to be registered in the stock exchange, which it does with an IPO.
·
The company produces shares and sells them at a particular
price. The investors who buy the shares are the shareholders of the company.
·
For every share, a fixed amount of dividend (profit, in layman
terminology) is paid to the investors. If the company grows, the dividend
increases and vice versa.
In case the company keeps growing, it will attract more investors and more
shares need to be issued.
All these transactions are carried out under a regulating authority known as
the stock exchange, like NSE and BSE. Companies list their shares in these
exchanges and investors buy them.
Trading
on NSE and BSE
now that you know what is NSE and BSE, you should be
looking forward to start trading on NSE and BSE, follow these steps:
·
Firstly, open an online trading & demat
account. They are required for buying, selling and storing stocks.
·
Do remember to choose an authentic broker who is registered with
SEBI.
·
Move funds from your bank account to your trading account.
·
Once set up, trading can begin!
Wrapping Up
·
·
A stock exchange is an organized market, where traders can buy
and sell the shares of different companies.
·
India has two major stock exchanges - the National Stock
Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange.
·
Both the NSE and BSE provide
an efficient platform for online trading and are an indicator of the health of
India’s economy.
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Benefits of equity investment
When we talk about equity, the term can hold different
meanings, depending on the context and type of assets. Equity in general terms
is the degree to which you own an asset, after all the debts associated with
that particular asset are paid off. So when you buy shares of a company, you
are doing an equity investment in that company. In this section, we will go
into the details of equity, equity investment, advantages of equity investment
and, how to invest in equities.
Key Points
·
Buying and holding a share in a company is known as equity
investment.
·
When you own shares of a company, you gain ownership of that
company.
·
The shares you buy in a stock market have high liquidity. This
means your shares can be easily transferred to a different owner.
A lot of people want to learn about equity investment and
execute it, especially in India. You can also invest in equity with a little
bit of knowledge which you will get here.
What is
equity?
Equity is nothing but ownership; ownership of anything,
actually. Let's suppose you own 10 shares of a company XYZ, which has 100
shares in total. You will then be a 10% owner of the company. So, if this
company makes a profit, your capital investment will rise and vice-versa.
There is a simple mathematical formula to calculate equity:
EQUITY
= ASSETS - LIABILITIES
What is
equity investment?
When you buy and hold a share in a company, the act is
known as an equity investment. It’s called an equity investment since shares
are ‘equal’ ownership avenues into a company - each share being equal to the
other.
When you buy common stocks of a company from the share
market, you are partially an owner of the company. When the company earns a
profit, you get income from dividends and capital gains. When the company makes
a loss, you will also incur a loss. Equity holders receive voting rights,
meaning you will have the right to participate in the decision making process
of the company.
Advantages
of equity investment
·
Capital Gain, income and dividend: When
the share price of the company rises or the company makes a profit, you will
receive a return on investment in terms of capital gains and dividends: these
are the 2 main sources of income on your investments.
·
Limited Liability: The
liability of your shares is limited to the extent of the investment made in a
company. When the company incurs loss above your investment, you don’t have to
bear that loss.
·
Exercise Control: When
you own shares of a company, you gain ownership of that company. This gives you
voting rights in the company.
·
Bonus shares: On
some occasions, companies decide to issue bonus shares to its existing
shareholders. These shares are free shares which you receive.
·
Liquidity: The shares you buy
in a stock market have high liquidity. This means your shares can be easily
transferred to a different owner. Contrast this with a real estate investment,
which would be significantly more difficult to transfer.
·
Stock Split: Sometimes,
companies decide to split their stocks into parts. This reduces the share price
of the company but your capital holding remains the same. The major advantage
of this is that it increases the liquidity of the share.
How can
you invest efficiently and safely in equity?
·
Make sure you’re doing your research before you dive into the
stock market.
·
Keep a track of the profit and loss accounts, analyse balance
sheets and cash flow statements of the companies you invest in.
·
You should keep a track of your portfolio on a regular basis,
and make sure it is diversified. Don’t put too much of your money into one
company.
·
Due to the volatility of the share market, remember to make
smart decisions about when to buy/sell.
·
Lastly but most importantly, you need a demat account and
a trading account.
·
Learn how to open a demat account and how to open a trading account.
Wrapping Up:
·
Buying and holding a share in a company is known as equity
investment.
·
The advantages of investing in equities are - limited liability,
high liquidity, capital gains, control etc.Make sure you do your research,
diversify your portfolio, and make smart decisions when performing equity
investments.
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What are the types of share
trading orders?
Have we covered share trading before?
In great detail, actually. Shares are known by different names, like equity or
stocks. They are a section of a company’s capital which is divided among people
who gain or lose according to the portion of capital they hold. A share market
or a stock market is an aggregation of buyers and sellers of shares. In the
share market, there is a term we call ‘trading order.’
Key Points
·
A trading order is an instruction by a broker, or to the
exchange via direct market access - on buying or selling a stock.
·
A Market Order is a pretty standard trading order type. It
instructs the broker to buy and sell the share at the best price possible.
·
Limit Orders is another very popular order type. It allows you
to buy or sell at a specific price.
What
are Trading Orders?
A trading order is an instruction by a broker, or to the
exchange via direct market access - on buying or selling a stock. The orders
maybe quite simple or complicated. Every trade consists of at least two orders
- to buy and to sell, that is, to enter and exit the trade. In the initial
stages, trading may seem quite simple. Push the ‘buy’ button to enter and the
‘sell’ button to exit, but this kind of trading is quite risky and inefficient.
The stock market provides numerous trading orders which traders can (and
should) use in multiple combinations to trade.
Placing
Orders on Trading Platforms
Plenty of different types of trading orders exist on
trading platforms, so it is important to have a comprehensive understanding
about all of them for a successful trade. But even post understanding them, you
need to actually go ahead and place these orders. For placing a buy order, you
need to follow the following steps:
·
Log on to your Upstox account. Enter your login details and head
over to your watchlist.
·
Tap on the In the buy section, and choose the exchange. There
are two exchanges in India - NSE and BSE.
·
Enter the number of shares you wish to buy in the ‘Qty’ box.
·
The ‘Order Type’ section provides the list of different orders
that can be placed. Choose the one you wish to place.
This is how one can place an order. Similar steps are
followed while placing a ‘Sell’ order.
Different
Types of Stock Trading Orders
There are multiple stock trading orders that a trader can
use to place different trades.
Market Order: is a pretty standard trading order type. It instructs the broker
to buy and sell the share at the best price possible. As long as there are
buyers and sellers, market orders are always full. It might not be very
suitable for a fast moving market, and the price it is executed on may differ
from the one your stock was at when you were placing the order. But it can be
used when it is important for the trader to get in or out of the trade quickly.
·
Limit Order: is another very
popular order type. It allows you to buy or sell at a specific price. A buy
order can be executed at that price or a lower price and a sell order is
executed at that price or a higher price. In a limit order, the trader needs to
specify this price. A limit order prevents slippage but there is no filling
guarantee.
·
Stop Order: (or a stop-loss
order, as it is commonly called) is like a market order, the difference being
that it is only processed when the stock reaches a price specified by the
trader. If it does not reach that price, it is not processed and if stock
reaches that price or higher, the stop order is processed like a market order.
·
Conditional Order: are
complex orders in which more than one condition is specified. They are only
processed if all the conditions are fulfilled.
Do
Different Stock Trading Orders Cost Differently?
We know that there are different trading orders available
and all of them contain a different set of conditions. Orders are processed
only when these conditions are fulfilled. The conditions can be quite simple or
pretty complex. This makes it valid enough to price different orders
differently. Limit orders are more complex as compared to market orders and thereby
they increase the work of the broker, which means they will obviously charge
higher fees for limit orders.
Wrapping Up
·
Trading orders are a set of rules which determine how a trade
will occur.
·
There are different types of orders available. A trader can use
a single order or a combination of different orders while trading.
·
The trading order can be quite simple or complex according to
the conditions it fulfills. This also results in different pricing of different
orders.
·
Trading Orders can be Market Orders, Limit Orders, Stop Orders
or even Conditional Orders.
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What is a circuit breaker?
In the conventional sense of the term, a circuit breaker
or a fuse is a contraption that safeguards electric circuits from overload and
break down. Equity exchanges across the world use a similar mechanism called
the circuit breaker, that prevents short term massive swings or volatility in
the markets.
Key Points
·
A circuit breaker halts all trading across a whole exchange or
in a particular stock for some time as soon as the price of a stock or a market
index moves beyond a certain percentage from the previous day’s closing price.
·
A circuit breaker is needed because wild price swings are mostly
irrational.
Circuit breakers are placed in tiers wherein different rules and different
periods of shutdown come into force at different price levels.
·
Further, before reopening, exchanges call for buyers and sellers
to bid on stocks and indices in what is called a pre-open call auction session.
How do
circuit breakers work?
A circuit breaker halts all trading across a whole
exchange or in a particular stock for some time as soon as the price of a stock
or a market index moves beyond a certain percentage from the previous day’s
closing price. For example, a 10% fall in the Nifty 50 index (a market index in
the NSE exchange) from the previous day’s closing price triggers a market shut
down for forty five minutes. A market index is a weighted average that reflects
the price of a number of stocks as a single composite price. Thus, a market
index can serve as a convenient proxy for wider market price changes (if it
takes the right mix of stocks into account).
Circuit breakers that shut down entire exchanges are
activated based on price changes in a market index (representative of the price
movements across the greater part of an exchange). Exchange wide circuit
breakers which halt trading across the entire exchange based on market index
price changes are in effect across almost all exchanges. In contrast, stock
specific circuit breakers are generally not in use. Each exchange has its own
rules that trigger a circuit breaker. A circuit breaker can be triggered by an
abnormal price rise as much as by a fall--depending on the exchange’s rules.
Why is
a circuit breaker required?
Wide swings in prices cause panic among traders resulting
in massive sell offs, more so if smart automated algorithms are used by some. A
shut down for some time tempers investor sentiment and quells speculative
hysteria by allowing time for dissemination of information enabling rational
decisions. This stabilises markets and upholds investor confidence in the
fairness of the market.
Understanding
tiers/levels of circuit breaker
Circuit breakers are placed in tiers wherein different
rules and different periods of shutdown come into force at different price
levels. For example, if a 5% price drop causes a 30 minute shutdown, a further
5% drop following reopening (10% drop in total) could result in a shutdown for
an even greater period of time or for the rest of the day. Usually, exchanges
have a three tiered system where each tier comes into play at different
percentage points.
Some exchanges also have time specific rules for
triggering circuit breakers. For example, a 5% price drop that would trigger a
shutdown any other time, might not cause a shutdown if the fall takes place during
the last five minutes of trading in a day.
Price
discovery
Further, before reopening, exchanges call for buyers and
sellers to bid on stocks and indices in what is called a pre-open call auction
session. This allows for exchanges to fix stock prices rationally when markets
reopen after a shutdown, based on wider market demand and supply. Stocks reopen
at the price discovered through bidding. This measure shores up investor
confidence in the stock price as it is backed by investors participating in the
exchange.
Indian
circuit breakers
Point
to remember
Indian exchanges National stock exchange (NSE) and
Bombay stock exchange (BSE) use the BSE Sensex and Nifty 50
indices as benchmarks or references in the activation of circuit breakers.
As soon as one index breaches a price level, both
exchanges (NSE and BSE) are shut down. The tiers are activated at 10, 15 and 20
percentage points from the previous day’s closing price. Both rise and fall in
price trigger circuit breakers. The periods of shutdown, duration of pre open
call auction session following a shutdown and variation in rules based on time
of the day are listed on the NSE daily market wide Circuit breakers, where you
can also see prices at which each tier would be activated calculated based on
previous day’s closing prices.
Circuit breakers have been activated in the Indian
exchanges following greater than 10% crashes in index prices (Example - BSE
sensex crashes triggering shutdowns occurred twice in the year 2008). Circuit
breakers have also had to be activated following wild upswings in the indices
(Example - Circuit breakers were enforced twice on the day the results of the
2009 parliamentary elections were announced).
Wrapping up
·
Circuit breakers are safety mechanisms that are inbuilt into
exchanges to protect them from wild short term fluctuations.
·
Circuit breakers bring about a temporary shutdown of all trading
across an exchange to calm market sentiment following irrational price swings.
·
In allowing time for speculative hysteria to die down and
effective dissemination of information, shutdowns enable investors to make
rational decisions as the market reopens.
·
Circuit breakers are arranged in tiers which come into play
sequentially at different price points.
·
Before reopening, stock prices are fixed rationally by allowing
prospective buyers and sellers to bid for sometime in what is called a pre-open
call auction session.
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Risk management while investing
in the share market
It’s a truism that every investment or trade off in life
is a bet on one thing against another. Moreover, risk is inherent in every
decision made. Without due diligence and a proper strategy, any action is only
as good as a wild gamble. Like in all other facets of life where a reasonable person
is expected to deliberate and think through before making a choice one deems
best, trading and investing in equity requires one to have a clear idea of what
one's getting into, an executable strategy that accounts for foreseeable
developments and an exit plan if things go awry or if a downturn is around the
corner.
Key Points
·
Risk management lies at the core of good investing practice.
It's absolutely essential that one knows how to manage and reduce risks
effectively before investing or trading in equity.
·
A systematic risk refers to the chances of a generalised
downturn across categories or sectors of equity.
·
Short term trading is fraught with much more volatility and
risks than long term investments.
·
Unsystematic risks are those that are peculiar to a particular
stock or a class of stocks.
The price often fluctuates between set levels, with the
baseline called a support and the ceiling, a resistance.
Discussed below are risks one has to confront as a trader/investor and measures
to mitigate risks which pave the way for a better shot at making profits.
Types
of risks
Systematic
risks
As the term makes it obvious, a systematic risk refers to
the chances of a generalised downturn across categories or sectors of equity.
These developments are often sudden and unpredictable. They could include an
adverse political scenario, an economic crisis (for instance, an economic
recession) or social unrest. The market reacts with panic after the development
breaks, because often there’s little clarity at the beginning. Prices take time
to settle until after details come out and the scope of the systemic changes
become clear.
Though these events are mostly unpredictable and might
seem to occur sporadically, an intelligent investor who stays up-to-date about
the wider scheme of things will often find cues on what to expect and can
enforce countermeasures such as selling off short term equity holdings. One
might even be able to profit by taking short positions on stocks. The best
defence against a systematic downturn that lasts long is diversification of
investment in assets which thrive when the markets don't perform well, such as
gold, physical assets like real estate and government securities/credible
bonds.
Unsystematic
risks
For example, a company might fail to perform well, reach
objectives, projected earnings etc. These risks can be foreseen in most cases
from an analysis of a company's historical performance, earning reports and
records of asset holdings and outstanding debt, vision for expansion and
projections of future prospects. Thus, a fundamental analysis[Link # 71 - What
is Fundamental Analysis and how to do it?] helps investors to assess the risks
of investing in a particular stock or a class of stocks, thereby enabling one
to settle on the best bets.
Again, it's good practice to diversify across different
classes of stocks to mitigate risk in the event that an unforeseen occurrence
impacts a particular stock or a group of related stocks.
Short
term trading
Short term trading is fraught with much more volatility
and risks than long term investments. Short term price movements of a stock are
independent of a company's underlying fundamentals most of the time. The price
fluctuates based on the demand supply dynamic and is also very sensitive to
external developments, such as news that could impact the company's prospects.
The price often fluctuates between set levels, with the baseline called a
support and the ceiling, a resistance. Demand goes up when the stock is near
its support and selling increases near a resistance as traders anticipate
prices to stay within the limits and trade accordingly. These levels are
breached when investors demand or sell a greater number/volume of stocks than
is normally traded in reaction to news that could have a bearing on the company's
prospects. The stock then settles in a different price range with a new
resistance and support. Thus, there are multiple resistance and support levels
across price ranges.
Understanding
support and resistance
Short term trading without a risk management strategy is
bound to end in disaster. Every trader must understand the concept of supports
and resistances and must be able to identify these price limits based on:
·
Historical trends: which
allow for observation of supports which have held up prices and resistances
which contain prices from going up beyond a certain level.
·
Moving averages: a
convenient tool used in technical analysis wherein multiple day price averages
are used to identify supports and resistances.
·
Candlestick chart: daily
price movements are represented as bars resembling candles and the patterns
help to predict price movements and also identify supports/resistances.
·
Round numbers (a lot
of supports/resistances are usually square figures as 10, 50 or 100, in part
due to investor psychology and partly because financial institutions usually
trade in prices that are whole numbers and not decimals)
·
Fibonacci retracement tool: A
popular tool for identifying strategic places for transactions to be placed,
target prices or stop losses.
After determining support-resistance levels, traders can
decide when to sell their holdings, either to make a profit before a likely
downtrend, or to cut losses at the start of a likely protracted fall in prices.
Similarly, stocks can be bought at near support prices while limiting bids at
higher prices near the resistance level. The short term trader also has to be
mentally agile enough to accommodate new developments and modify trades based
on the weight of breaking news. Further, large institutional traders often use
automated algorithms which manipulate or distort market trends, making short
term trading even more risky. One can also watch out for rallies (a consistent
up or downtrend over a reasonable period of time, usually a few days or weeks)
to make short term trades with a relatively lesser degree of risk.
Functions
of risk management
·
Enables investors to identify the best investment options in the
market offering higher likelihood of great returns relative to risk.
·
Reduces risk of incurring losses significantly by means of
diversification across stock classes and different asset categories.
·
Informs trading strategy, that is, determination of prices at
which to buy or sell.
Though risk management practices can never reduce the
risk to zero (in fact, risk is never non-existent with anything), proper
planning can significantly cut down risks and considerably boost the chances of
profiting off investments. All it requires is effort and willingness to learn
on the part of the investor.
Wrapping up
·
Adoption of risk management practices is absolutely essential to
reduce the risk of incurring losses on investments.
·
Systematic risks, which are risks threatening the whole market,
can be hedged by investments in alternative asset classes.
·
Stock specific risks can be reduced by proper fundamental
analysis and scrutiny of stocks before investing.
·
Short term trading is more risky than long term investments and
thus traders need to be much more cautious and vigilant.
·
Every trader or investor must have a market entry/exit strategy
to cut losses and maximise profits.
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What is an IPO in the share
market?
IPO or Initial Public Offering is an offer of shares made
by a company to the public for the first time. After an IPO, the shares bought
by the public can be traded on the share market. This article is an
introductory guide to an IPO.
Key Points:
1. Companies
offer shares by going public in order to get access to a large amount of
capital.
2. SEBI
carefully scrutinises the application and after making sure that all
eligibility norms are fulfilled, it gives the company the go ahead to file an
IPO.
3. IPOs
can be accessed through banks and brokerages that have undertaken to conduct
the IPO proceedings on behalf of the company.
4. Once an
IPO closes only then does the company get listed on the stock exchange.
In an IPO or initial public offering, the offered shares
are bid upon and successful bidders are allotted shares. The term ‘public’
encompasses private institutions and financial institutions called Qualified
Institutional Investors (QII). Simply put, companies offer part ownership in
exchange for money. If the company grows, the value of the shares you hold in
the company increases, profiting you. If the company fails to perform, your
share value drops down.
But, why do companies feel the need to raise money
through IPOs? Here are some reasons to go public.
Why is
an IPO needed?
1. Easy
access to huge capital- This is the primary
reason companies offer shares through IPOs. It’s often hard to raise large
amounts of money from private investors. Settling debts could be a part of the
aim of a company, however, more often than not companies are looking towards
increasing the working capital they have on hand in order to improve their
company’s performance.
2. Increase
in credibility - Getting listed in a stock exchange adds credibility to the
company. This can be quite useful in many situations.
3. Helps
find market valuation - An IPO helps gauge public
sentiment towards the company’s future prospects and its market value, that is,
how much it is valued and demanded by the public.
4. Reward
for private investors - IPO offers an exit route
for private investors who can now sell off their shares at huge profits or just
see their net worth rise manifold as the shares gain in value.
How
does an IPO work?
Here’s what companies have to do to file an IPO.
·
A private company decides to raise capital through an IPO.
·
The company contracts an underwriter, usually a consortium of
investment banks which assess the company's financial needs and decide the
price/price band of shares, number of shares to be offered etc.
·
The underwriter then participates in the drafting of the
application which is called Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DHRP) that is sent to
SEBI (the regulatory authority for approval with details of the company's past
financial records including profits, debts/liabilities, assets and net worth.
Also, the draft mentions how the funds to be raised will be used.
·
SEBI carefully scrutinises the application and after making sure
that all eligibility norms are fulfilled, it gives the company the go ahead to
file an IPO. The company then releases a ‘red herring prospectus’.
·
The ‘red herring’ prospectus is a document released by the
company mentioning the number of shares and the issue price/price band (price
of one share) to be offered in the IPO. It also has details of the company's
past performance. In short it is encyclopedia of the Company.
·
In what is called a ‘Road show’, company executives travel to
meet with and woo potential investors to buy their company’s shares.
·
The IPO opens for public investment and can last for about 3
days, though it might even be open for 5 days depending on the demand.
·
During this time, retail investors can bid for stocks through
their banks/brokerages via the internet.
·
Investors need to have a demat account to participate in an IPO. A
PAN Card is a mandatory document in order to open a demat account.
·
If the stocks you bid for are allotted to you, they'll be
credited to your demat account. If not, you'll get your money back.
And here’s how you take part in an IPO and bid for
shares.
How to
bid for shares in an IPO?
·
Make sure the IPO is open to retail investors.
·
IPOs can be accessed through banks and brokerages that have
undertaken to conduct the IPO proceedings on behalf of the company.
·
You need to have a mandatory demat account to bid for shares.
·
You can bid for shares from an IPO either online or offline
through ASBA (Application Supported by Blocked Amount) facility only.
·
For offline bids, you've to fill in the specific application
form available with banks and brokerages, given that they open up an IPO to
their clients. You can bid online through the bank/brokerage’s website which
will be done through ASBA as well.
·
After the bid is done, shares will be allotted to you in full,
or apportioned among bidders in case of oversubscription, that is, you’ll
receive a part of what you’ve bid for.
·
The shares are credited to your demat account or a refund is
made for unsuccessful bids.
Finally, companies get listed in a stock exchange after the
IPO comes to a close. Stock exchanges have their own norms based on which they
list a company and allow trade on their exchange. IPO is the first stage
wherein a company goes public. The next stage is the secondary market where
securities are traded.
Wrapping Up
·
An IPO is an initial offer of shares to the public made by a
company to raise capital.
·
Companies file IPOs to raise money, expand, pay off debts, gain
credibility, gain negotiating power, to get market valuation and to reward
private investors.
·
Companies go through a long regulatory process before they can
bring an IPO out for public investment. SEBI acts as the regulatory authority.
·
You can bid stocks in an IPO either online or offline if the IPO
is open to retail investors. You need to have a demat account.
·
IPOs can be a rewarding investment if you choose wisely. To know
more about IPOs and for tips and strategies on how to invest in IPO.
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