Stock investing is a time-tested and popular way to grow your money. In fact, 34% of Australians have bought shares and 17% have invested in ETFs, according to a recent Finder study1. Even more of us are exposed to the stock market through superannuation.
But how do you actually get started on your investment journey?
This guide will take you through the basics, including how to make money from stock market investments and the different approaches you can take when investing in Australia.
Stock investing in a nutshell
When you buy shares (stocks, securities, or equities), you essentially become a part-owner of a company. This ownership entitles you to potential dividends and other benefits like voting rights.
You can choose to buy shares individually using a broker or share-trading app or join with others by investing in a managed fund.
6 ways to invest in stocks
Here are 6 of the most popular methods for investing in shares in Australia:
Buy stocks with a broker: You can invest in stocks directly through a stock broker or trading platform.
Invest in ETFs: By purchasing units in an exchange-traded fund, you can invest in a whole stock portfolio.
Micro-investing apps: You can invest from a few cents at a time through micro-investing apps.
Through superannuation: Most super funds invest in a portfolio of stocks along with other financial assets.
With an SMSF: Build up your own investment portfolio through a self-managed super fund.
Use a wealth manager or financial advisor: You can employ an advisor to buy stocks, and manage your investments, on your behalf.
How do you make money from stocks?
There are 2 main ways to make money from the stock market:
Capital gains: If the price of a stock rises above what you purchased it for, you can take home the difference by selling.
Dividends: Some profitable businesses give back money to shareholders in the form of a dividend payment. This way you can make money without needing to sell any stocks.
One of the major benefits of owning shares is you can earn a passive income. Despite daily or even yearly fluctuations, history suggests that stock markets typically rise over the long term, meaning your wealth can grow with it if you've invested.
Finder survey: On average, how much do Australians invest each month through an investment app?
Response
100
11.43%
250
10%
500
10%
150
8.57%
200
8.57%
50
8.57%
300
7.14%
10
4.29%
40
4.29%
60
4.29%
1000
2.86%
6
2.86%
0
1.43%
120
1.43%
20
1.43%
290
1.43%
30
1.43%
3000
1.43%
56
1.43%
600
1.43%
64
1.43%
70
1.43%
75
1.43%
800
1.43%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1145 Australians, December 2023
1. Invest in stocks through a broker
The main way to invest in the stock market is to buy shares through a stockbroker. You have 2 options here: you can buy shares online using a share trading platform or use a full-service stockbroker.
A full-service broker is a traditional brokerage firm or investment bank such as Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley.
The main benefit is your broker does all the trading for you based on your instructions and may offer advice. The downside is you'll be charged a premium fee for its service, starting from $70–$200 per trade.
The cheapest and simplest way to buy stocks is to use an online broker and place the trades yourself. These charge anywhere from $0–$30 per trade in brokerage fees.
You can check out our top picks for online brokers below or compare the full market through our comparison table.
For our top picks, we compared our Finder partners using a proprietary algorithm beginning in 2023. We update the list every 3 months. Keep in mind our top picks may not be the best for your individual circumstances and we encourage you to compare for yourself. Read our full methodology here to find out more.
What stocks should you invest in?
The goal of buying any stock is to get more money from it than you spent on purchasing it. For this reason, you'll want to invest in companies that you think will go up in price over time or at least pay out a dividend.
To master the art of this, you’ll need to do your own research into each of the companies.
It’s a good idea to know the company’s fundamentals, why you should own it, what you think the growth potential is like and when you might sell it.
Bear in mind that it's safer to have a diversified portfolio of stocks from different sectors and even countries to avoid major losses if a market falls. A diversified portfolio typically consists of at least 20-30 stocks.
Look for sustainable competitive advantages from a great reputation, geographic location, benefits from scale, technology, patents, innovation or IP, the network effect or barriers to entry. Always remember the most valuable competitive advantage is the ability to raise prices without a detrimental impact on unit sales value..
Do you trust the company? The best company to invest in is one that you both understand and trust. Pick a company that you believe will continue growing and can be trusted to use its profits wisely.
Do you use its products? Are you a fan of Apple or do you use Facebook every day? These could be good options because you'll also be among the first to notice if the company starts under-delivering to customers.
Debt and profit levels. Are debt levels under control and is profit growth meeting expectations?
Expansion. Does the company have plans to expand into new global markets or sectors? A growing company usually means a rising share price.
Dividends. Does the company pay a dividend? If not, are you expecting the company's share price to rise?
Stock price. Is the stock overvalued? An expensive stock is where the share price has risen beyond its perceived value, which could mean it's going to fall in the near future. Read more in our guide "How to value a stock".
Expert view. Follow the price targets and stock ratings of top investment banks and brokers such as Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Morgans and UBS. Usually they'll give "buy", "hold" or "sell" ratings. Just keep in mind that even the experts get it wrong a lot of the time.
Platform tools and research. You’ll often have access to market research, analysis and even stock recommendations through your trading platform, so use this info to help make an informed decision.
How to buy shares without a broker
There are a few ways you can buy shares without a stock broker or share trading platform at all:
Managed funds. You access shares without a broker by investing in a managed fund directly through the fund manager. These funds typically hold multiple company stocks that are selected by a fund manager.
IPOs. Some crowd-funding platforms allow you to buy shares when a company first lists on a stock exchange, called an initial public offering (IPO).
Your company. Some firms offer their staff company shares as part of their employment contract. These are called employee share schemes.
Off-market transfer. It’s possible to inherit shares or be given shares by someone else without a broker. This is called an off-market share transfer.
Share purchase plan (SPP). Sometimes companies raise extra capital by selling new shares via an off-market share purchase plan. Typically, you invest in an SPP directly through the company itself.
Watch: How to invest for beginners
2. Invest in stocks through ETFs
If you want to invest in shares but do not want to research individual companies, then buying an exchange-traded fund (ETF) could be an option.
ETFs are a whole portfolio of stocks. They vary in how many they hold and what their strategies are so make sure you read the product disclosure statement (PDS).
Generally speaking, they fall into 3 categories:
Market tracking ETFs. You know the ASX 200 or the S&P 500? Well, a market-tracking ETF owns a small portion of all the companies on the index. The ETF provider will simply buy it on your behalf and re-weight it, usually quarterly. These are the lowest-fee ETFs.
Actively managed ETFs. These are professionally managed ETFs with someone actively choosing what to buy and sell. As such, the fees are usually higher on these ETFs.
Thematic ETFs. These are for investors who want to gain exposure to a certain theme. Let’s say for example you think the transition to net zero or cyber security will be profitable, then you can get an ETF that is mostly exposed to this theme. However, these ETFs are slightly more risky than traditional ones as you are only exposed to a few sectors of the market.
The mechanics behind an ETF are similar to shares in that you transact with them on the stock market.
Like stocks, the easiest way to invest in them is through an online stock broker where you can purchase them in the same way that you do stocks.
ETFs are arguably the most cost-effective and efficient way to invest in the stock market. Index funds like ETFs also regularly outperform even professional fund managers over the long-term.
Want to turn your spare change or rebates on your shopping into shares? Well, you can through micro-investing apps.
These apps are popular among newer and younger investors.
Micro-investing apps will typically invest in a bunch of predetermined ETFs or stock portfolios that should match your risk tolerance.
You can typically set a recurring investment into your portfolio of choice on a weekly or monthly basis. Some apps such as Raiz Invest will even round up your spare change from purchases and automatically invest it.
While it will take a long time to fund larger saving goals such as buying a house through micro investing, it can help you get started in the market and is great way to passively invest.
4. Invest in stocks through superannuation
Your superannuation is another way for you to start investing in the share market.
In fact, it's likely you are already invested in the share market.
For those using their superannuation to invest in shares, they are usually in a balanced or a higher growth option.
The lower-risk superannuation plans generally hold a larger portion of bonds and cash, while the higher growth plans own shares.
As a general rule of thumb, you should take on more risk when you’re younger and reduce it as you get older. Of course, personal risk tolerance plays a major role in what is the right option for you.
5. Invest in stocks through an SMSF
If you are a high-net wealth individual, you can directly take control of your superannuation through a self-managed super fund (SMSF).
Instead of relying on your super fund provider to manage your portfolio, you can decide which stocks and other financial assets (such as property or even gold) you want to hold.
While it can be beneficial to directly manage your own retirement fund, keep in mind that if you can’t outperform the market, then you’ll retire with less.
It's also generally agreed upon that due to the high costs of running an SMSF, it might not be worth it to open an SMSF if you have less than $250,000.
6. Use a financial advisor
If you have larger amounts to invest and are unsure about how to manage your investments and assets, you could consider appointing a financial advisor to manage it on your behalf.
Financial advisors and wealth managers specialise in managing large investment portfolios on behalf of their clients, based on their risk profile and investing goals.
In Australia, anyone offering personal financial advice needs to have an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), so if you decide to hire an advisor, make sure they have the relevant certification.
Naturally, wealth managers and advisors charge a fee for their services, and this is something that needs to be weighed up when considering whether to use them.
What to understand before you start investing
Investing in the stock market can be a great investment, but it can also be pretty risky, especially if you don’t have a financial plan.
To build a plan, you’ll need to ask yourself the following key questions:
How much can I afford to invest in stocks?
How much can I afford to lose?
How long can my money stay in the stock market?
What will I do if prices start to fall?
What about if prices rise?
Once you can answer these questions, you can start mapping out how you want to invest in the stock market and the types of stocks or ETFs you want to invest in.
As a rule of thumb, the riskier the investment, the bigger your potential profit. Work out if you can afford to buy high-risk stocks (such as penny stocks) or if you should stick to safer long-term investments like blue chip stocks or index funds.
Do you need to pay taxes on stock investments?
Yes, you need to pay tax on any profits you make from shares, including dividends. Any income you make from dividends is automatically recorded by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and is included as part of your regular taxable income at tax time.
Profits that you make on capital gains – i.e. when you buy low and sell high – are only counted in the financial year that you’ve sold your shares. Your broker will usually send you a tax invoice with any profits that you’ve earned from stocks each financial year.
Tip: If you hold shares for more than a year, you only need to pay tax on half of the profits you’ve earned. You can read more about share trading and taxes in our tax guide.
How do stock markets work?
You can think of the stock market (aka stock exchange) in the same way you think of an online marketplace like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.
Each day, thousands of people go online to buy and sell products with the aim of making as much money as they can - in the case of a stock market, it's company shares.
Every major country has at least one stock exchange.
The bigger the economy, the more likely they will have multiple exchanges. For instance, in the US there is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchanges as well as several other smaller exchanges.
In Australia we have the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Cboe Australia, the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX) and the Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX), although the ASX is by far the most popular.
Companies will choose which exchange to list their stocks on depending on where they think they will get the most investor support balanced with the costs.
Most Australian companies will list their stocks on the ASX, although some have chosen to list on US exchanges, such as Atlassian which is listed on the Nasdaq.
To buy stocks in any one company, you'll need to check which exchange it's listed on (noting it might be on more than one) and then find a broker with access to that exchange.
What are the risks of stock investing?
Before you start buying and selling stocks, be aware of the risks:
You can lose money. A company’s stock can plummet to zero in the worst-case scenario. If you've invested in such a company, you could lose your entire investment.
Bankruptcy. Shareholders are usually the last to be paid when a company goes broke. When this happens, there’s a good chance that you won’t get your money back.
Emotional toll. Daily share market fluctuations can cause plenty of stress for investors. If you can’t handle the ups and downs, you may be better off looking for a safer and steadier investment option.
Unexpected problems. Even if you do a lot of research into a company, it’s simply not possible to predict the future. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, bad company news and even changes in government policy can all occur unexpectedly and adversely affect the price of shares.
Lack of expertise. While investing in the share market sounds quite easy in theory, it can get complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. First-time investors should be wary of getting ahead of themselves.
Getting in over your head. A final word of warning if you’re thinking of investing in shares: don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure to use your common sense and take a cautious approach – good advice no matter whether you’re planning on investing in shares, property or anything else.
How popular is share trading?
34% people have invested in shares or cryptocurrencies, according to our consumer sentiment tracker. 43% of men said they have invested while only 25% of women have invested in shares or cryptocurrencies. NSW and Victoria are the most popular states for share trading.
Compare online stock brokers to invest in shares and ETFs
Take a look at Australian online trading platforms in the table below. These platforms will let you invest in various stock markets.
Depending on what you're after, it may save money to use more than one platform – for example, a platform for Australian shares and a platform for another market such as US or UK stocks.
Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.
There are plenty of factors you'll need to take into account when choosing a broker, so check out our guide to choosing the best online share trading platform for more details.
Share market update
9 April: The price of iron ore dropped to a 10-month low of US$96.70 a tonne at the beginning of the month, finally feeling the hit of China's weakening property market. Despite this, the ASX 200/S&P Index set 2 record highs in March, the first on March 8 hitting 7847.0, followed by a new record of 7896.9.
7 Mar 2024: The ASX 200 rose +0.2% to 7,749 points following strong results in tech stocks (+0.8%) and utilities (+1%). Despite 2 of Australia's mining giants dipping (BHP down -1.2% and Rio Tinto down -2.4%), news of the US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powel planning to cut rates in 2024 also helped the Australian market.
2 Feb 2024: The ASX 200 dropped by 1.06% to 7600 points influenced by declines in the tech sector and broader market reactions to global financial events. This movement reflects a shift in investor sentiment and market dynamics during the period.
8 Jan 2024: The ASX 200 began the year with some fluctuations, dropping 1.4% to 7,523.2 points on the first trading day and then hovering around 7,494 the next day. However, it quickly rallied, with the index approaching its all-time high, closing at 7627.8 points, just a few points shy of its peak
2 Nov 2023: The Australian stock market fell into a correction from October 30 after the S&P/ASX 200 index dropped 10% below its February peak thanks to sticky inflation and conflict in the Middle East.
9 Oct 2023: The Israel-Hamas war is having an impact on markets with gold and oil prices expected to spike and the Australian Dollar falling further, dragging import stocks along with it.
5 Sept 2023: Australian and US markets were flat through August as both markets wrap up reporting season.
Frequently asked questions about investing in stock in Australia
This will depend on your brokerage platform. Some platforms will allow you to purchase a wide variety of exchange-listed shares and some will even allow you to purchase international shares. Research the different share trading platforms to see which stocks each provider allows you to buy and sell.
It depends on the investment platform you use. If you don’t already own stock in an Australian company, you’ll typically be required to purchase over $500 worth during your first trade. Once you own stock, you can buy further shares with no minimum. For US or other global stocks, the minimum can range anywhere from a few cents to a few hundred dollars, depending on the platform you use.
The maximum value of shares you can buy online will again depend on your brokerage platform. Some platforms will have no maximum amount but will require you to have the necessary funds for your purchase in your trading account.
The time it will take for your buy or sell order to go through will depend on whether you lodge your order at market or at limit. For example, if you’re buying shares at market value, the order will be placed as soon as possible and the shares purchased at the best price available at the time. However, if you place your order at limit, you can stipulate the maximum price you are willing to pay and how long you will wait for the right market conditions to arise. The limit order will then stay on the market until your designated expiry date, and if it has not been executed by then, your order will be cancelled.
If you’re lodging a market order, your brokerage platform will most likely provide you with the opportunity to review and modify your order before submitting it. However, once it has been submitted, it will be processed as soon as possible.
If you decide to place a limit order and it has not yet been executed, you will be able to amend or even cancel the transaction.
Once you have purchased shares in a company, you literally own a small portion of that company. As the stock market fluctuates each day and the value of shares rises and falls, the value of your shares will similarly change. You’ll receive company reports and news updates so you can stay abreast of its performance and direction, while many companies will also pay out dividends (your share of the company’s profits or earnings) twice a year. It’s up to you to monitor the performance of your shares in line with your investment strategy and decide whether to sell, hold or buy more shares.
One option for those who have little money is to start investing through micro investment apps or through fractional shares. Micro investing lets you round up transactions, set up smaller weekly deposits and with some providers allows you to get cash back on your shopping. These apps will then invest your money into index or exchange-traded funds.
Your other option is to look into fractional shares. Some brokers will let you buy a portion of shares instead of having to save enough to buy a full share.
While both of these strategies have drawbacks, they can help you get started investing with little money.
If you want to invest in American stocks from Australia, you'll need to find a broker that allows you to buy US shares. Once you have found a broker, you'll need to fill out your basic information and provide some proof of identification.
If you're looking to buy shares in Chinese stocks, you'll need a brokerage account that allows you to access the right stock exchanges. However, it can be tricky to trade on Chinese stock exchanges directly and in many instances it is easier to invest in Chinese companies that are listed on other exchanges.
Chinese stocks are in 3 categories:
Chinese A stocks: These are listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchange, are traded in local currencies and are usually exclusive to Chinese investors except for foreigners with a special licence.
Chinese B stocks: These are stocks of Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchange and can be traded by international investors. But with more access to A stocks in recent years, these shares are losing some of their liquidity.
Hong Kong H stocks: These are stocks that are on the Hong Kong exchange, and you'll need to transfer your money to Hong Kong dollars before trading. This market is open to foreign investors.
Many Chinese stocks are also listed on overseas markets such as the US and Australia. These include Alibaba, Baidu and NIO. In this case, you need to sign up to a broker with access to those markets.
In order to buy gold stocks, you'll need to find companies that mine gold. After that, you'll need to sign up with a broker and begin trading.
While you won't directly be exposed to the gold price, the miners themselves are pretty closely aligned to the gold price. This goes without saying, but the higher the price of gold, the better it is for gold miners and vice versa.
Alternatively, you can choose to invest in gold ETFs that are also traded on the stock exchange. These are either physically backed by gold or trade futures contracts.
Finally, if neither of these options appeal to you and you would like to own gold you can buy gold bullion or even jewellery.
You can start investing in Australian shares from as little as $500 if they are CHESS sponsored and as little as $10 at a time into US stocks – depending on your online broker. If you choose to have a custodian model of ownership, you start buying Australian shares for even less.
Regardless of what or where you choose to invest, you'll need to follow the same steps. You will need to research businesses that you would like to buy, sign up to a broker and purchase the shares.
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the product on the provider's website.
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Written by
Kylie Purcell
Kylie Purcell is the senior investments editor and analyst at Finder. She has completed a Certificate of Securities and Managed Investments (RG146) and specialises in investment products including online brokers, robo-advisors, stocks and ETFs. See full profile
To start trading shares in Australia, the easiest way is to open a trading account with your bank. Online brokerage/ trading is more cost effective than a full service stockbroker, who provides advice on which shares to purchase. If you require more advice and guidance, it could be advantageous to find a full service stockbroker.
From there you will be able to specify the share/s you want to buy and the amount of shares.
Is there any site available, where I can invest for the long term? As I am the independent and working woman, So I want to save money for future. As currently, my children are young. I am interested in investing in mutual funds sites. While exploring on the Internet I came across a https://foragerfunds.com site. Does anyone here have any experience investing from this site? Should I go for this or you guys have any further options? Please recommend.
Thanks for reaching out to us. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a review page of Forager Funds. We cannot say if this is recommended or give out personal opinion.
Unfortunately, as per ASX regulation, the minimum amount of shares that you can buy is $500.
Once you’ve signed up to an online trading platform, such as the ones displayed on this page, you can then link the account to your transaction account.
After that’s all set up you can start to buy the shares (ASX Code: SHK).
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Hi, I’m an international student here. I want to invest in stock market. What should I do and how can I do it?
Hi Sukhvinder, thanks for your inquiry.
To start trading shares in Australia, the easiest way is to open a trading account with your bank. Online brokerage/ trading is more cost effective than a full service stockbroker, who provides advice on which shares to purchase. If you require more advice and guidance, it could be advantageous to find a full service stockbroker.
From there you will be able to specify the share/s you want to buy and the amount of shares.
Thanks,
Jonathan
Is there any site available, where I can invest for the long term? As I am the independent and working woman, So I want to save money for future. As currently, my children are young. I am interested in investing in mutual funds sites. While exploring on the Internet I came across a https://foragerfunds.com site. Does anyone here have any experience investing from this site? Should I go for this or you guys have any further options? Please recommend.
Hi Claire,
Thanks for reaching out to us. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a review page of Forager Funds. We cannot say if this is recommended or give out personal opinion.
You can also have a look on these pages for helpful information on how stay safe and protect your personal and financial details when trading shares online and also compare your options from there:
https://www.finder.com.au/share-trading
https://www.finder.com.au/best-online-share-trading-platforms
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Rench
I want to buy $300.00 worth of Stone Resources Australia Ltd shares and pay with my m Visa Debit card plus brokerage.
Hi Gib,
Thanks for your question.
Unfortunately, as per ASX regulation, the minimum amount of shares that you can buy is $500.
Once you’ve signed up to an online trading platform, such as the ones displayed on this page, you can then link the account to your transaction account.
After that’s all set up you can start to buy the shares (ASX Code: SHK).
Hope this helps,
Shirley
I know I’m a little late but Shirley’s answer is wrong $300 of shares would be an ‘unmarketable parcel’ and in violation of ASX rules.
The minimum amount allowed is $500 but even then you would want to consider the costs of brokerage of buying an selling.
Hi Troy,
Thanks for your comment and for bringing this to our attention.
Yes, you are correct, as per ASX, the minimum marketable parcel of shares is $500. We have already updated the previous answer.
Cheers,
Anndy