Say hello to international shares
You can now buy and sell shares across 10 international exchanges, all on one easy investment platform.
Investments can fall as well as rise.
Shares
Shares suit a wide variety of investment strategies, although they can carry higher risks than funds. Because of this, they're more suitable for experienced investors.
The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you could get back less than you invest. If you’re not sure about investing, seek independent advice.
Are shares right for me?
Are you trying to decide whether or not you should invest in shares? Here are some of the things that you need to consider before you take the plunge. If you’re not sure that investing in shares is right for you, seek independent advice.
Introduction to shares
Putting your money into shares can seem daunting if you’re a newcomer to stock market investing. This essential introduction to shares lays bare the basics to help you understand exactly what’s involved.
How to buy shares
Once you’ve decided you’re comfortable with the risks involved in investing in shares, your next step is to start building your portfolio. Read on to find out about the different ways you can buy shares.
Influences on share prices
You've snapped up some shares and now you're looking for some price movement action. But what factors will make that happen? And because what goes up can just as easily come down, what factors might cause the price to plummet?
Adding up the costs of buying and selling shares
All investments have charges and it’s no different with buying and selling shares. We outline what costs you need to consider when it comes to trading stocks.
Understanding market capitalisation
The size of the companies you invest in can affect the risk and returns. We examine the key characteristics of larger, medium-sized and smaller companies.
A guide to basic investment strategies
Investing in equities isn’t just a matter of deciding which shares or funds to buy and which markets to buy them in. Investors, professional or otherwise, will typically have their own style, strategy and long-term goals which will underpin their decisions. We examine five of the most popular.
Understanding new issues: retail bonds
Retail bond new issues are similar to IPOs in that they're a way for companies to raise money and offer the public a chance to invest in their future prospects. We explain how they work.
Corporate actions explained
Any corporate action can lead to share price movement. It's important to understand the different types of corporate action a company might take and how they could affect your investments.
Understanding new issues: IPOs and share offers
Find out about new company shares with this guide to IPOs and share offers.
Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
Find out what initial public offerings (IPOs) are, learn how they typically work, and see what to watch out for before you invest.
Introduction to Venture Capital Trusts
Certificated share dealing
Most investors love the ease of online share dealing. But what should you do about certificates? We explain what you need to know.
Investment strategies
Stay up to date with the latest investment strategies from independent industry experts and our own professionals. We explore a wide range of different ideas and approaches so that you can work out the best investment plan for you.
Research Centre
For help with your individual share selections use our tools that allow you to research UK market indexes and daily share movements. You can look up information about historic share price as well as share performance statistics and related shares by sector. You can also find expert views from brokers and analysts, plus company information and news.
Ways to invest
Always remember that investments can fall in value. You may get back less than you invest.
Ready-made Investments
A straight-forward way to invest
Smart Investor
To choose and manage your own investments from a range of funds, shares, ETFs and bonds, get started today by simply opening up an Investment (Stocks & Shares) ISA, Investment Account or SIPP Account with Smart Investor.
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Call us
If you have any questions, you can give us a call on 0800 279 36671.
Exploring investments on Smart Investor
You have the choice of thousands of investments to help you achieve your financial goals. Once you’ve opened one of our accounts, we offer you various ways to explore and find the right investments for you.