Skip to content

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.

What is share trading?

Share trading is the act of buying and selling shares.

A share represents a unit of ownership in a company - when you buy a share, you become a part owner, or shareholder, of that company. The more shares you buy, the more of the company you own.

Traditionally, investors will buy shares in a company (Apple, for example) in the hope that the value of that company will rise. If it does, so will its share price, so the shares that the investor owns can be sold on for a profit.

With IG, you can buy and sell shares in this way using our share trading service. Or if you’d prefer, you can take a position on thousands of share prices using our leveraged product – CFD trading. 

Related questions

Improve your skills

Become a better trader with IG Academy. Take engaging step-by-step courses, attend expert-led seminars and webinars. 

Get peer support

Have your questions answered by like-minded traders and IG staff over at IG Community.