Stock Brokers

A stock, also known as equity, is a security that represents the ownership of a fraction of the issuing corporation. Units of stock are called shares which entitles the owner to a proportion of the corporation's assets and profits equal to how much stock they own. 

Shares are units of equity ownership in a corporation. For some companies, shares exist as a financial asset providing for an equal distribution of any residual
profits, if any are declared, in the form of dividends. Shareholders of a stock that pays no dividends do not participate in a distribution of profits. Instead, they anticipate participating in the growth of the stock price as company profits increase.

A shareholder is a person, company, or institution that owns at least one share of a company's stock or in a mutual fund. Shareholders essentially own the company, which comes with certain rights and responsibilities. This type of ownership allows them to reap the benefits of a business's success. These rewards come in the form of increased stock valuations or financial profits distributed as dividends. Conversely, when a company loses money, the share price invariably drops, which can cause shareholders to lose money or suffer declines in their portfolios.

Equity, typically referred to as shareholders' equity (or owners' equity for privately held companies), represents the amount of money that would be returned to a company's shareholders if all of the assets were liquidated and all of the company's debt was paid off in the case of liquidation. In the case of acquisition, it is the value of company sales minus any liabilities owed by the company not transferred with the sale.

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a type of pooled investment security that operates much like a mutual fund. Typically, ETFs will track a particular index, sector, commodity, or other asset, but unlike mutual funds, ETFs can be purchased or sold on a stock exchange the same way that a regular stock can.

An ETF can be structured to track anything from the price of an individual commodity to a large and diverse collection of securities. ETFs can even be structured to track specific investment strategies.

As the name suggests, fractional shares are less than one full share of equity. Such shares may be the result of stock splits, dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs), or similar corporate actions. In the past, fractional shares were not widely available or sought-after, but many online brokerages allow investors to purchase less than a full share of a company's stock.

Common stock is a security that represents ownership in a corporation. Holders of common stock elect the board of directors and vote on corporate policies. This form of equity ownership typically yields higher rates of return long term.

However, in the event of liquidation, common shareholders have rights to a company's assets only after bondholders, preferred shareholders, and other debtholders are paid in full.

Preferred shareholders, which is to say holders of preferred stock, have priority over common stockholders when it comes to dividends, which generally yield more than common stock and can be paid monthly or quarterly. These dividends can be fixed or set in terms of a benchmark interest rate like the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR)​, and are often quoted as a percentage in the issuing description.

Unlike common stockholders, preferred stockholders have limited rights which usually does not include voting. Preferred stock combines features of debt, in that it pays fixed dividends, and equity, in that it has the potential to appreciate in price. This appeals to investors seeking stability in potential future cash flows.