Stock is an ownership stake in a company that allows investors to participate in its successes and failures over time. The return and principal value of stocks fluctuate with changes in market conditions, so investors must weigh their risk tolerance against the potential for long-term capital gains. There are a variety of ways to invest in stocks, from mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to individual shares of public companies that trade on the NYSE or Nasdaq. The latter are generally easier to buy and sell, but can require more research to understand the underlying businesses and calculate financial ratios.

A company issues stock to raise capital from investors, much like a bond operates as a loan. It can issue different types of shares, each with varying rights and privileges depending on the type (common or preferred). When a company goes public, it works with investment bankers to set its initial market price and distribute its stock, or equity. Once it’s public, the stock can be traded in the secondary markets (stock exchanges). The prices of stocks rise or fall on a number of factors, including economic conditions, investor sentiment, and news about the company.

If a company is profitable, it may distribute dividends to its shareholders or reinvest the profits back into the business. In either case, the company’s stockholders benefit from the company’s success, as their share prices increase. In addition, the accumulated wealth of many large-cap stocks makes them relatively stable investments, even in turbulent times. Conversely, smaller companies tend to be more volatile and can be less well established, but they also have more room for growth.

A stock’s price represents the value of a company’s assets and earnings, and is often represented by its total market cap. A company’s market cap is calculated by multiplying its shares outstanding with the current share price. For example, if a company has 100 shares outstanding and the stock is currently selling for $2.58, each share represents 1% of the company’s market value.

When choosing individual stocks, it’s important to assess a company’s business model, growth prospects, and management. In particular, it’s important to consider how much debt the company has and whether it has talented executives who can take the company in new directions. In some cases, a company’s growth might be limited by government regulations or geographic limitations.

The valuation of a stock can be based on various methods, such as discounted cash flow, comparable companies (comps), and precedent transactions. Some investors subscribe to the efficient market hypothesis, which states that all known information about a stock is already factored into its current price. For this reason, beating the market requires significant research and knowledge of investing principles and trends. Other investors prefer to use fundamental analysis, which focuses on the underlying value of a stock. This approach involves assessing a company’s financial performance, product line, and brand to make a decision about a stock’s worth.