Six Steps To Consider
- Deciding to buy shares - Look closely at your financial position and decide whether you have enough money after all your expenses to put aside to buy shares. Shares are normally a long term investment so you must be ready to do without this money for a length of time.
- Choosing a broker - Before you buy shares you choose a broker who buys and sells shares on you behalf and chargers you a commission for this service. Choose a broker you can trust and who can give good advice on your investment needs. Talk to each representative of the brokers before making the decision.
- Placing your order - Once you have chosen a stock decide how many shares to buy and what price to pay. Your broker will show you the current sock prices which are made up of a bid price, ask price and the last traded price. The bid is the highest price anyone pays for shares and the ask price is the lowest price available. The last trade price is the price at which the shares were last sold or bought. Once you have placed you order the broker then sends it to the Lusaka stock exchange LuSE to be processed.
- Paying for you shares - After your order is filled, you broker will inform you to confirm the trade and total price you must pay for the shares plus his commission. You must pay for the shares you purchased within three business days from the day the trade was confirmed. The record of your ownership will then be entered in the central depository at LuSE or you may request at a small fee for a share certificate indicating your ownership of these shares.
- Keeping up to date - Now that you are a stock market investor, keep a close eye on the performance of your shares and activities of the company you have invested in. discuss your investment regularly with your broker and read annual reports, listen to the media in order to assess the future of your company