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The Daily Insight Hub

Why might someone buy shares in a company?

Author

Andrew Campbell

Updated on January 11, 2026

Shares are popular because they generate superior returns. The FTSE 100 has risen by 375% in the last 25 years (source). Property, bonds and savings accounts all take a back seat to the returns generated by the equity asset class. Shares are convenient because they are more liquid than investments in property.

Is it possible to make money on a company stock even if the company is not profitable?

But if the company is making no profit, or even has a negative profit, stock prices can still increase due to buying volume, as traders buy low after a crash and sell high after a rally.

Why do people buy shares in a company in order to make money?

The primary reason that people buy shares of companies is to make money. The idea is to buy low and sell high. For instance, if you buy 100 shares of Company B stock valued at $25 each, you will have made an initial investment totaling $2,500.

Is it better to buy stock directly from a company?

A big advantage of buying stock directly from a company versus a broker is that it’s cheap. According to Bankrate.com, brokers typically charge anywhere from $8 to $45 per transaction. There is sometimes a one-time set-up fee and the charges for selling shares are usually higher.

Can share market make you rich?

Yes, it is possible to make money in stock trading. Many people have made millions just by day trading. But the important thing about day trading is that only a few can make money out of day trading and the rest end up losing their entire capital in day trading.

Why do companies want to buy their own shares?

As far as the company is concerned, purchasing its own shares may be a sensible way of using spare cash or of adjusting its gearing (the level of its borrowings compared to its shareholders’ funds).

Is it good to give shares in business to someone else?

If you think that you might want to sell the business in a few years, remember that the person you give shares to will get a chunk of the sale price. That could be absolutely fine because their work or their investment might have helped you to grow the business much more than you could have done on your own, so you all end up with more money.

What happens when everyone is selling a stock?

If everyone were to sell, there is no market in that stock (or other assets) anymore until sellers and buyers find a price they are willing to transact at. When a stock is falling it does not mean there are no buyers.

Why do people sell shares at a high price?

This makes perfect sense if you think about it because otherwise you can always sell it at a high price (since you can set a price yourself). There are however people called “market makers” (sometimes called the specialist) who will buy shares at the ask price and sell shares at the price. Their profit is usually the spread.