The stock market is a venue in which individuals and businesses can buy and sell financial securities such as stocks and bonds. When you buy stocks, you are investing in the company, by buying ownership in the form of shares. If the company grows and is successful, the price of the shares will go up, and when you sell them, you turn a profit. The risk is that if the company fails, the value of your shares will go down and you can lose your investment.

The stock market works through the process of trading. When new shares are issued, buyers and sellers place their bids and asks for those shares on a stock exchange. A broker will take these orders, match the buyers with the sellers, and then determine the price or average price of the stocks traded. The current stock prices of a particular stock are constantly changing, depending on the demand for the stocks and other factors that affect the market. In order for an investor to purchase or sell a stock, they must go through a broker, or online, who will act as a middleman between the investor and the stock exchange.