Market Basics

Start here. How markets, brokers, and orders actually work.

• What is a stock?

  A share of ownership in a company — explained without jargon.
• How stock exchanges work

  What the NYSE and Nasdaq actually do when you click 'buy'.
• Bid, ask, and the spread

  Why the price you see isn't always the price you get.
• Market vs limit vs stop orders

  The four order types every investor should know.
• Bull markets vs bear markets

  What these terms mean and how to stay sane in both.
• What is a market index?

  S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq — what they measure and why people watch them.

Educational content only. Not investment, tax, or legal advice. Stock Trades App does not hold customer funds or execute live trades.