[Pao|o]

What do I need to do to buy Apple stocks? I have zero knowledge on how to buy stocks whatsoever and would like to invest.

[peeb]

The same as to buy any stocks.
You need a broker, there are many cheap, online brokers these days, like Scottrade, for example.
Go to the Motley Fool website and do some research there on savings, tax reducing strategies, and investment and make sure you understand what you are doing before you put a lot of money into stocks. You might also want to try a fantasy portfolio (a game that mimics stock trading) before you start spending real money. Good luck!

[Cold Warrior]

I use firstrade; they were rated very highly by Consumer Reports. However, anyone reputable should be fine.

[brassplayersrock²]

anyone else??


how much are the shares going for at the moment? i might be interested in buying some

[peeb]

190

[brassplayersrock²]

hmmm thank you

[peeb]

For what it's worth, I think there is plenty of room for growth left - the retail side of things are good, with lots of room to grow, and the iPhone is only really starting to be rolled out outside the US.

[Nodnarb]

these threads always make me sad ... bought back at $34 and sold at $54 before the split. ... $30,000 from an original $3,000 would be pretty cool for an 18 year old (who bought when he was 15 or 16).

I agree with the above though, I still think it could get to around $250ish no problem, I just don't have enough nerve to buy the stock at like 10 times what I bought it for before, just incase it goes down (because that would be a serious part of my money to buy even just $100 shares).

[sdilley14]

It's way too volatile for me to stay in it. I'm extremely confident it'll hit $250 by mid 2008, but I don't have the guts to sit and watch it make $10 jumps and dives on speculation in the meantime. It would however make for a good long hold IMO.

[macmonkey]

What you need to do is watch for one of the hedge fund raids. That's the time to buy again. We had a minor one a few days ago when it broke through 195 and was heading towards 200. Hedge funds sell off, the wimpy investors that bought on speculation sell on fear, it plummets several dollars a share, you buy in, and over the next couple of days it gradually makes its way back.

If you don't have a lot of money to put in, you could always go with options, too. Go with a leap option on something over 200 for a year from now. If it doesn't reach that point by then, you're out the whole wad, but if it does $$$$. You can also wait for it to climb close to your 'in the money' point and sell the option when it's more valuable if you want to mitigate risk.

Also, watch for after the January keynote, there's always a runup before it, and then a smash afterwards before rising again. Winter/Spring isn't really the best time to own Apple since there isn't usually much news, but it tends to skyrocket over the summers when people know huge Higher Ed business is coming in that will bolster the Q3 and Q4 numbers.

I was lucky and got about 250 shares from the company stock plan before I left. I think I put in about $8,000 total. It's worth quite a bit more now.

[SirCastor]

I started a fantasy portfolio a little less than a year ago... At the time, Apple stock was at $86.30. I thought it was high then. Oh well, hindsight and all that, right?

Scottrade and Sharebuilder are both an inexpensive way to start. You'll need to have an account and in the case of Sharebuilder, you do not need any minimum. In the case of both, if you're doing an IRA (a type of account intended for retirement savings) you don't need any minimum (be careful with this one though because there are rules about when you can take your money back out of it, and how.)

If I may make one more recommendation: Do your homework, and take the plunge. I've been hovering around stocks for more than a year and I haven't ever gotten into them. Things will always be risky, and sometimes it'll seem like you're losing. I think however that if you do your homework on what you're investing in, you stand only to gain from the market. Don't put it off too long, or you'll never get it done.

[macmonkey]

Originally Posted by SirCastor 

I started a fantasy portfolio a little less than a year ago... At the time, Apple stock was at $86.30. I thought it was high then. Oh well, hindsight and all that, right?

Scottrade and Sharebuilder are both an inexpensive way to start. You'll need to have an account and in the case of Sharebuilder, you do not need any minimum. In the case of both, if you're doing an IRA (a type of account intended for retirement savings) you don't need any minimum (be careful with this one though because there are rules about when you can take your money back out of it, and how.)

If I may make one more recommendation: Do your homework, and take the plunge. I've been hovering around stocks for more than a year and I haven't ever gotten into them. Things will always be risky, and sometimes it'll seem like you're losing. I think however that if you do your homework on what you're investing in, you stand only to gain from the market. Don't put it off too long, or you'll never get it done.

If you're looking to move in and move out a lot, Sharebuilder isn't really a good option. They charge $15 to sell last I checked. And to take advantage of their cheaper buying options, you have to buy on the following Tuesday. It's great for long haul stuff, like buying up high yield stocks or something.

And an IRA also isn't what you'll want your money in if it's 'play' money. If you're buying and keeping that cash in there until retirement, go for it, but if it's money you might need to access before you retire, keep it in a standard account with eTrade or Scottrade.

[numpty]

Originally Posted by Pao|o 

What do I need to do to buy Apple stocks?

Why would you want to pelt fruit with rotten vegetables?