Owning part of a company
A stock, or share, is a unit of ownership in a company. Shareholders may receive part of the profits as dividends and may vote on some company matters.
Shares of listed companies trade on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, during set trading hours.
What moves share prices
Company results, expectations about future earnings, interest rates, the wider economy and investor sentiment all affect share prices. Prices can fall as well as rise, and a company can fail.