How to invest in stocks in Australia (2023 update)

You might have heard that investing in stocks is a time-tested way to grow your money. But where to begin?

This guide will take you through the basics, including how to make money from stock market investments and the different approaches you can take when investing in Australia.

1. Invest in stocks through a broker

The main way to invest in the stock market is to buy shares through a stockbroker. You have 2 options here: you can buy shares online using a share trading platform or use a full-service stockbroker.

A full-service broker is a traditional brokerage firm or investment bank such as Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley.

The main benefit is your broker does all the trading for you based on your instructions and may offer advice. The downside is you'll be charged a premium fee for its service, starting from $70–$200 per trade.

The cheapest and simplest way to buy stocks is to use an online broker and place the trades yourself. These charge anywhere from $0–$30 per trade in brokerage fees.

You can check out our top picks for online brokers below or compare the full market through our comparison table.

Our top pick for

US stocks

eToro

Finder Award

Our top pick for

Low costs

IG Share Trading

Finder Award

Our top pick for

Best overall

CMC Invest

Finder Award

What stocks should you invest in?

The goal of buying any stock is to get more money from it than you spent on purchasing it. For this reason, you'll want to invest in companies that you think will go up in price over time or at least pay out a dividend.

To master the art of this, you’ll need to do your own research into each of the companies.

It’s a good idea to know the company’s fundamentals, why you should own it, what you think the growth potential is like and when you might sell it.

Bear in mind that it's safer to have a diversified portfolio of stocks from different sectors and even countries to avoid major losses if a market falls. A diversified portfolio typically consists of at least 20-30 stocks.

Look for sustainable competitive advantages from a great reputation, geographic location, benefits from scale, technology, patents, innovation or IP, the network effect or barriers to entry. Always remember the most valuable competitive advantage is the ability to raise prices without a detrimental impact on unit sales value..

Roger Montgomery
CIO, Montgomery Investment Management

Tips for finding the best stocks

• Do you trust the company? The best company to invest in is one that you both understand and trust. Pick a company that you believe will continue growing and can be trusted to use its profits wisely.
• Do you use its products? Are you a fan of Apple or do you use Facebook every day? These could be good options because you'll also be among the first to notice if the company starts under-delivering to customers.
• Debt and profit levels. Are debt levels under control and is profit growth meeting expectations?
• Expansion. Does the company have plans to expand into new global markets or sectors? A growing company usually means a rising share price.
• Dividends. Does the company pay a dividend? If not, are you expecting the company's share price to rise?
• Stock price. Is the stock overvalued? An expensive stock is where the share price has risen beyond its perceived value, which could mean it's going to fall in the near future. Read more in our guide "How to value a stock".
• Expert view. Follow the price targets and stock ratings of top investment banks and brokers such as Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Morgans and UBS. Usually they'll give "buy", "hold" or "sell" ratings. Just keep in mind that even the experts get it wrong a lot of the time.
• Platform tools and research. You’ll often have access to market research, analysis and even stock recommendations through your trading platform, so use this info to help make an informed decision.

How to buy shares without a broker

There are a few ways you can buy shares without a stock broker or share trading platform at all:

• Managed funds. You access shares without a broker by investing in a managed fund directly through the fund manager. These funds typically hold multiple company stocks that are selected by a fund manager.
• IPOs. Some crowd-funding platforms allow you to buy shares when a company first lists on a stock exchange, called an initial public offering (IPO).
• Your company. Some firms offer their staff company shares as part of their employment contract. These are called employee share schemes.
• Off-market transfer. It’s possible to inherit shares or be given shares by someone else without a broker. This is called an off-market share transfer.
• Share purchase plan (SPP). Sometimes companies raise extra capital by selling new shares via an off-market share purchase plan. Typically, you invest in an SPP directly through the company itself.

Watch: How to invest for beginners

2. Invest in stocks through ETFs

If you want to invest in shares but do not want to research individual companies, then buying an exchange-traded fund (ETF) could be an option.

ETFs are a whole portfolio of stocks. They vary in how many they hold and what their strategies are so make sure you read the product disclosure statement (PDS).

Generally speaking, they fall into 3 categories:

• Market tracking ETFs. You know the ASX 200 or the S&P 500? Well, a market-tracking ETF owns a small portion of all the companies on the index. The ETF provider will simply buy it on your behalf and re-weight it, usually quarterly. These are the lowest-fee ETFs.
• Actively managed ETFs. These are professionally managed ETFs with someone actively choosing what to buy and sell. As such, the fees are usually higher on these ETFs.
• Thematic ETFs. These are for investors who want to gain exposure to a certain theme. Let’s say for example you think the transition to net zero or cyber security will be profitable, then you can get an ETF that is mostly exposed to this theme. However, these ETFs are slightly more risky than traditional ones as you are only exposed to a few sectors of the market.

The mechanics behind an ETF are similar to shares in that you transact with them on the stock market.

Like stocks, the easiest way to invest in them is through an online stock broker where you can purchase them in the same way that you do stocks.

3. Invest in stocks with micro-investing apps

Want to turn your spare change or rebates on your shopping into shares? Well, you can through micro-investing apps.

These apps are popular among newer and younger investors.

Micro-investing apps will typically invest in a bunch of predetermined ETFs or stock portfolios that should match your risk tolerance.

You can typically set a recurring investment into your portfolio of choice on a weekly or monthly basis. Some apps such as Raiz Invest will even round up your spare change from purchases and automatically invest it.

While it will take a long time to fund larger saving goals such as buying a house through micro investing, it can help you get started in the market and is great way to passively invest.

4. Invest in stocks through superannuation

Your superannuation is another way for you to start investing in the share market.

In fact, it's likely you are already invested in the share market.

For those using their superannuation to invest in shares, they are usually in a balanced or a higher growth option.

The lower-risk superannuation plans generally hold a larger portion of bonds and cash, while the higher growth plans own shares.

As a general rule of thumb, you should take on more risk when you’re younger and reduce it as you get older. Of course, personal risk tolerance plays a major role in what is the right option for you.

5. Invest in stocks through an SMSF

If you are a high-net wealth individual, you can directly take control of your superannuation through a self-managed super fund (SMSF).

Instead of relying on your super fund provider to manage your portfolio, you can decide which stocks and other financial assets (such as property or even gold) you want to hold.

While it can be beneficial to directly manage your own retirement fund, keep in mind that if you can’t outperform the market, then you’ll retire with less.

It's also generally agreed upon that due to the high costs of running an SMSF, it might not be worth it to open an SMSF if you have less than $250,000.

Plan before you start investing

Investing in the stock market can be a great investment, but it can also be pretty risky, especially if you don’t have a financial plan.

To build a plan, you’ll need to ask yourself the following key questions:

1. How much can I afford to invest in stocks?
2. How much can I afford to lose?
3. How long can my money stay in the stock market?
4. What will I do if prices start to fall?
5. What about if prices rise?

Once you can answer these questions, you can start mapping out how you want to invest in the stock market and the types of stocks or ETFs you want to invest in.

As a rule of thumb, the riskier the investment, the bigger your potential profit. Work out if you can afford to buy high-risk stocks (such as penny stocks) or if you should stick to safer long-term investments like blue chip stocks or index funds.

Do you need to pay taxes on stock investments?

Yes, you need to pay tax on any profits you make from shares, including dividends. Any income you make from dividends is automatically recorded by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and is included as part of your regular taxable income at tax time.

Profits that you make on capital gains – i.e. when you buy low and sell high – are only counted in the financial year that you’ve sold your shares. Your broker will usually send you a tax invoice with any profits that you’ve earned from stocks each financial year.

Tip: If you hold shares for more than a year, you only need to pay tax on half of the profits you’ve earned. You can read more about share trading and taxes in our tax guide.

How do stock markets work?

You can think of the stock market (aka stock exchange) in the same way you think of an online marketplace like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.

Each day, thousands of people go online to buy and sell products with the aim of making as much money as they can - in the case of a stock market, it's company shares.

Every major country has at least one stock exchange.

The bigger the economy, the more likely they will have multiple exchanges. For instance, in the US there is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq exchanges as well as several other smaller exchanges.

In Australia we have the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Cboe Australia, the National Stock Exchange of Australia (NSX) and the Sydney Stock Exchange (SSX), although the ASX is by far the most popular.

Companies will choose which exchange to list their stocks on depending on where they think they will get the most investor support balanced with the costs.

Most Australian companies will list their stocks on the ASX, although some have chosen to list on US exchanges, such as Atlassian which is listed on the Nasdaq.

To buy stocks in any one company, you'll need to check which exchange it's listed on (noting it might be on more than one) and then find a broker with access to that exchange.

What are the risks of stock investing?

Before you start buying and selling stocks, be aware of the risks:

• You can lose money. A company’s stock can plummet to zero in the worst-case scenario. If you've invested in such a company, you could lose your entire investment.
• Bankruptcy. Shareholders are usually the last to be paid when a company goes broke. When this happens, there’s a good chance that you won’t get your money back.
• Emotional toll. Daily share market fluctuations can cause plenty of stress for investors. If you can’t handle the ups and downs, you may be better off looking for a safer and steadier investment option.
• Unexpected problems. Even if you do a lot of research into a company, it’s simply not possible to predict the future. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, bad company news and even changes in government policy can all occur unexpectedly and adversely affect the price of shares.
• Lack of expertise. While investing in the share market sounds quite easy in theory, it can get complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. First-time investors should be wary of getting ahead of themselves.
• Getting in over your head.A final word of warning if you’re thinking of investing in shares: don’t bite off more than you can chew. Make sure to use your common sense and take a cautious approach – good advice no matter whether you’re planning on investing in shares, property or anything else.

Compare online stock brokers to invest in shares and ETFs

Take a look at Australian online trading platforms in the table below. These platforms will let you invest in various stock markets.

Depending on what you're after, it may save money to use more than one platform – for example, a platform for Australian shares and a platform for another market such as US or UK stocks.

1 - 6 of 6

Updated regularly

We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.

Learn how we maintain accuracy on our site.

Close

Name	Product	Price per trade	Inactivity fee	Asset class	International
eToro Finder AwardExclusive		$0	US$10 per month if there’s been no log-in for 12 months	ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs	Yes	CFD service. Capital at risk. Finder exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account (T&Cs apply). Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CMC Invest Finder Award		$0	$0	ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, mFunds, ETFs	Yes	$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets. Trade up to 35,000 products, including shares, crypto, ETFs and managed funds, with access to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges. Plus, buy Aussie shares for $0 brokerage up to $1,000. (Limited to one buy order per stock per trading day).	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Moomoo Share Trading Exclusive		US$0.99	$0	ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Finder exclusive: Get an additional 30 days on top of the regular brokerage-free period for new accounts. T&Cs apply. Trade shares on the ASX, the US markets and buy ETFs with Moomoo. Plus join a community over 20 million investors.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tiger Brokers Exclusive		US$2	$0	ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Finder exclusive: Get 10 brokerage-free trades for the US or ASX market for the first 180 days and US$50 fractional shares when you deposit at least US$500. Plus, all new customers get 1 free trade per month for the first 12 months (T&Cs apply). Get one brokerage-free trade per month for the first 12 months for US or ASX markets. T&Cs apply.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Webull		US$0.25	$0	ASX shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs	Yes	Earn US$100 in cash vouchers when you fund your new account and maintain a minimum balance of US$2,000 by Dec 29 until March 31, 2024. Plus, earn up to 5.3% p.a. yield on your US cash account (T&Cs apply). Trade ASX and US stocks and US options, plus gain access to inbuilt news platforms and educational resources. You can also start trading for less with fractional shares.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IG Share Trading Finder Award		US$0	$0	ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, UK shares, ETFs	Yes	$0 brokerage for US and global shares plus get an active trader discount of $5 commission on Australian shares. Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian and international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

loading

Important: The standard brokerage fee displayed is the trade cost for new customers to purchase $1,000 of either Australian or US shares. Where a platform charges different fees for both US and Australian shares we show the lower of the two. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

There are plenty of factors you'll need to take into account when choosing a broker, so check out our guide to choosing the best online share trading platform for more details.

Share market update

• 2 November 2023: The Australian stock market fell into a correction from October 30 after the S&P/ASX 200 index dropped 10% below its February peak thanks to sticky inflation and conflict in the Middle East.
• 9 October 2023: The Israel-Hamas war is having an impact on markets with gold and oil prices expected to spike and the Australian Dollar falling further, dragging import stocks along with it.
• 5 September 2023: Australian and US markets were flat through August as both markets wrap up reporting season.
• 1 Aug 2023: Australian and US markets were relatively flat over July, rising around 2-3% as investors weigh upcoming earnings results in the US and easing interest rate hikes in Australia.
• 5 July 2023: The S&P/ASX 200 index is up around 4% YTD, lagging returns seen on Wall Street. Investors are divided on when interest rates are expected to peak and recession risks.

Frequently asked questions about investing in stock in Australia

• What shares can I buy online?

  This will depend on your brokerage platform. Some platforms will allow you to purchase a wide variety of exchange-listed shares and some will even allow you to purchase international shares. Research the different share trading platforms to see which stocks each provider allows you to buy and sell.

• What is the minimum trade value?

  It depends on the investment platform you use. If you don’t already own stock in an Australian company, you’ll typically be required to purchase over $500 worth during your first trade. Once you own stock, you can buy further shares with no minimum. For US or other global stocks, the minimum can range anywhere from a few cents to a few hundred dollars, depending on the platform you use.

• What is the maximum value I can buy?

  The maximum value of shares you can buy online will again depend on your brokerage platform. Some platforms will have no maximum amount but will require you to have the necessary funds for your purchase in your trading account.

• How long will it take for my order to be processed?

  The time it will take for your buy or sell order to go through will depend on whether you lodge your order at market or at limit. For example, if you’re buying shares at market value, the order will be placed as soon as possible and the shares purchased at the best price available at the time. However, if you place your order at limit, you can stipulate the maximum price you are willing to pay and how long you will wait for the right market conditions to arise. The limit order will then stay on the market until your designated expiry date, and if it has not been executed by then, your order will be cancelled.

• Can I change or cancel my order?

  If you’re lodging a market order, your brokerage platform will most likely provide you with the opportunity to review and modify your order before submitting it. However, once it has been submitted, it will be processed as soon as possible.

  If you decide to place a limit order and it has not yet been executed, you will be able to amend or even cancel the transaction.

• What happens once I purchase my shares?

  Once you have purchased shares in a company, you literally own a small portion of that company. As the stock market fluctuates each day and the value of shares rises and falls, the value of your shares will similarly change. You’ll receive company reports and news updates so you can stay abreast of its performance and direction, while many companies will also pay out dividends (your share of the company’s profits or earnings) twice a year. It’s up to you to monitor the performance of your shares in line with your investment strategy and decide whether to sell, hold or buy more shares.

• How do you invest with little money?

  One option for those who have little money is to start investing through micro investment apps or through fractional shares. Micro investing lets you round up transactions, set up smaller weekly deposits and with some providers allows you to get cash back on your shopping. These apps will then invest your money into index or exchange-traded funds.

  Your other option is to look into fractional shares. Some brokers will let you buy a portion of shares instead of having to save enough to buy a full share.

  While both of these strategies have drawbacks, they can help you get started investing with little money.

• How do I invest in American stocks from Australia?

  If you want to invest in American stocks from Australia, you'll need to find a broker that allows you to buy US shares. Once you have found a broker, you'll need to fill out your basic information and provide some proof of identification.

  After that you can begin buying US shares. For more information, see our how to invest in US stocks from Australia 2023 guide.

• How do I invest in Chinese stocks from Australia?

  If you're looking to buy shares in Chinese stocks, you'll need a brokerage account that allows you to access the right stock exchanges. However, it can be tricky to trade on Chinese stock exchanges directly and in many instances it is easier to invest in Chinese companies that are listed on other exchanges.

  Chinese stocks are in 3 categories:

  Chinese A stocks: These are listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchange, are traded in local currencies and are usually exclusive to Chinese investors except for foreigners with a special licence.

  Chinese B stocks: These are stocks of Chinese companies listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchange and can be traded by international investors. But with more access to A stocks in recent years, these shares are losing some of their liquidity.

  Hong Kong H stocks: These are stocks that are on the Hong Kong exchange, and you'll need to transfer your money to Hong Kong dollars before trading. This market is open to foreign investors.

  Many Chinese stocks are also listed on overseas markets such as the US and Australia. These include Alibaba, Baidu and NIO. In this case, you need to sign up to a broker with access to those markets.

• How do I invest in gold stocks?

  In order to buy gold stocks, you'll need to find companies that mine gold. After that, you'll need to sign up with a broker and begin trading.

  While you won't directly be exposed to the gold price, the miners themselves are pretty closely aligned to the gold price. This goes without saying, but the higher the price of gold, the better it is for gold miners and vice versa.

  Alternatively, you can choose to invest in gold ETFs that are also traded on the stock exchange. These are either physically backed by gold or trade futures contracts.

  Finally, if neither of these options appeal to you and you would like to own gold you can buy gold bullion or even jewellery.

• How do I invest in stocks with $1,000?

  You can start investing in Australian shares from as little as $500 if they are CHESS sponsored and as little as $10 at a time into US stocks – depending on your online broker. If you choose to have a custodian model of ownership, you start buying Australian shares for even less.

  Regardless of what or where you choose to invest, you'll need to follow the same steps. You will need to research businesses that you would like to buy, sign up to a broker and purchase the shares.