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Different Types of Stocks: A Guide for Beginner Investors

If you are considering investing in stocks, the first thing you need to do is understand the different types of stocks and how they work. You can then make a more informed decision as to what the best investment option is for you. Start by checking out the following guide for beginner investors.

Common Stock

You can buy stocks in companies from a wide variety of sectors, from technology firms to casinos. You may like to invest in the latter if you enjoy playing games like roulette and blackjack at online sites like Kazoom Casino or in the former if you have a penchant for things like computers and machinery. But your investment choice needs to be based on the best financial option first and foremost. Before you begin looking at different sectors to invest in, you need to understand the different types of stocks that are available. The commonest form of stock that people invest in is aptly called common stock. It represents partial ownership in a company. As a shareholder, you can potentially have unlimited upside potential. However, there is a risk. If the company should fail without having any assets left over, you would lose everything. But if assets are left over, you would receive a proportional share of the remaining assets.

Preferred Stock

Investing in preferred stock works much like investing in common stock. The main difference is if the company should dissolve, as a preferred shareholder you have the right to receive dividend payments before common shareholders do.

Cap Stocks

Market capitalization involves stocks being categorized by the total worth of the shares. The companies that have the largest market capitalizations are called large-cap stocks. As companies get successively smaller, they are called mid-cap and small-cap stocks. Large-cap stocks are generally considered to be the safest investment. On the other hand, mid-cap and small-cap stocks are riskier but they have a greater capacity for future growth.

IPO Stock

IPO stocks are available in companies that have recently gone public via an initial public offering. IPOs always generate a lot of interest when the companies are creating a buzz and using a promising business model. But IPO stocks can also be volatile, especially if the investors disagree about the prospects for growth and profit. The very nature of IPOs means investors have to act early. A stock typically retains its IPO status for between one and two years, but it can be an IPO stock for as long as four years after it first goes public.

Growth Stock

Although growth stocks carry a higher risk level than many other stocks, their potential returns can be very attractive. Successful growth stocks have businesses that are on top of the rising demand among customers to identify long-term trends. There can be a lot of competition for growth stocks, though, and there is always the risk of a growth slowdown, which would make stock prices quickly fall.

Value Stock

Value stocks carry less risk than growth stocks, so they are seen as a more conservative investment option. You will typically find value stocks for experienced and well-known big companies that have little room for expansion because they are already market leaders and their business models have stood the test of time. If you are looking for more price stability, value stocks can be a good option.

Dividend Stock

You could choose a dividend stock, which means dividend payments are paid to shareholders on a regular basis. Choose the right stock, and your dividends could provide you with a valuable income. But due to that reason, they are highly sought-after. Furthermore, stocks are not required to pay dividends and non-dividend stocks can still be an excellent investment option.

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