Stocks, Shares, and Equity
These three terms—stocks, shares, and equity—are often used interchangeably, but there are slight differences.
- Stock: This term refers to the total capital raised by a company through the issuance of shares. When you invest in a company’s stock, you are buying a piece of the company.
- Share: A share represents a unit of ownership in a company. If a company has issued 1,000 shares and you own 100, you own 10% of the company.
- Equity: This term is broader in scope. It represents ownership interest in a company and can include stocks and other forms of ownership, such as stock options.
Market Capitalization
Market capitalization (often shortened to market cap) is the total value of all a company’s shares of stock. It’s calculated by multiplying the company’s share price by the total number of its outstanding shares. Market cap is a quick way to gauge a company’s size and growth potential. Companies are often categorized as small-cap, mid-cap, or large-cap, with small-cap companies generally seen as more risky and large-cap companies seen as more stable.
Dividends and Stock Splits
- Dividends: These are payments made by a corporation to its shareholders, usually in the form of cash or additional shares. Dividends are a way for companies to distribute a portion of their earnings back to their shareholders. Not all companies pay dividends, especially those in growth phases where they prefer to reinvest all earnings back into the business.
- Stock Splits: A stock split is a decision by a company’s board of directors to increase the number of shares that are outstanding by issuing more shares to current shareholders. For example, in a 2-for-1 stock split, each shareholder receives an additional share for each share they already own. This does not change the overall value of the company; it just distributes it over more shares, making each share less expensive.
Indices and Benchmarks (e.g., S&P 500, Dow Jones, Nasdaq)
An index is a group of stocks that represents a segment of the stock market. These are often used as benchmarks to track the performance of the market or a particular sector of the market.
- S&P 500: This index includes 500 of the largest companies listed on the stock exchanges in the U.S. It’s often used as a proxy for the overall U.S. stock market.
- Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA): This index consists of 30 large, publicly-owned companies based in the U.S. Despite having fewer companies, the Dow is still commonly referenced in discussions about the health of the U.S. stock market.
- Nasdaq Composite: This index includes all the companies listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. The Nasdaq is known for having many tech companies, so the NASDAQ Composite can give a good sense of how the tech sector is performing.
Bull and Bear Markets
- Bull Market: This term refers to a market condition in which the prices of securities are rising, or are expected to rise. It’s named after the way a bull attacks—charging with its horns up. In a bull market, investors are optimistic and confident, expecting good results.
- Bear Market: This is the opposite of a bull market. It’s a market condition in which the prices of securities are falling, and widespread pessimism causes the negative sentiment to be self-sustaining. The term is derived from the way a bear attacks - swiping its paws downward. During a bear market, investors often try to sell off their stocks to avoid further losses, creating a cycle of negativity and further downward pressure on stock prices.
These market conditions can last for months or even years, and can be a normal part of the economic cycle. Recognizing whether the market is more “bullish” or “bearish” can help inform investment strategies. However, predicting market movements with certainty is extremely difficult, which is why many investors choose strategies that aim to grow their investments over the long term, regardless of short-term market fluctuations.
