Trading on the stock market is becoming popular and more mainstream as modern technology continues to advance. People now have easier access to trade on stocks, shares, commodities, and more. But the way people engage is changing. Gone are the days when it was only possible to partake by buying shares of a company; now, there are various other methods of trading.
Conventional Stock Trading
Stock trading is when an individual buys, sells, or trades shares in a company. These actions are conducted via the stock market, which is typically local to a certain country or economic center. When you purchase and hold a share in a company, you own a piece of it. Those wishing to trade on the stock market often purchase shares through a broker. These brokers can be individuals for brokerages, but more commonly nowadays, it can be done through online brokerages or platforms.
Pros and cons of Conventional Stock Trading
When you purchase a stock in a particular company, there are only two ways your fortunes can go. If the value of the company increases, your shares are worth more and you can cash them in to redeem profit. Alternatively, you can hold them in the hopes they will continue to increase in value. The other scenario is that they decrease in value, which is the double-edged sword that comes with investing in higher volatility options that could go either way.
New Types of Trading
A CFD, or Contract for Difference, is where the trader hopes to profit on the movement in value of a stock or commodity, without actually owning the underlying asset. For example, the buyer will estimate a price that they think the value will reach at a cut-off point in time. When the ‘contract’ expires, if they were right, they receive the difference between the opening and closing price. If they were wrong, they pay to the ‘seller’ or broker, the difference.
Binary options trading is slightly different from CFD trading in that they are based on a simple “yes” or “no” outcome. Offering short-term contracts for fast-paced trading, Nadex™ is a popular choice for those moving from conventional stock trading to trading where the underlying asset is not purchased, as there are no brokers, and members trade their own account directly. They also provide a demo trading account that helps traders transition and practice making a new kind of trade before they go live on the markets.
For example, “will an asset (for example gold) be above X price at X time?” If the trader thinks the value will be above a certain price point, they will buy the ‘binary option’. If they think it will be below, they sell it instead. Typically, the binary option payout is set at $100 for a correct prediction and $0 if it’s incorrect.
While binary options trading may not be overtaking conventional trading right now, its popularity is linked to its unique features. This is due to several factors, including its simplicity and the ease of entering the market.
Furthermore, the amount you can lose is capped, so if your trade doesn’t go as planned, you don’t have to pay anything additional. Also, you can trade options for lower amounts rather than risking buying a share at a high price that could decrease in value overnight. In other words, you can only lose what you choose to invest. This is a significant advantage for those interested in trading on stock market fluctuations.
There are never any guarantees when it comes to speculating on the stock market. Every investment comes with a risk, but you can diversify your chances by engaging in trading with different methods. You are no longer constrained to purchasing the underlying asset, now you can just look for opportunities on fluctuations in the market without taking on undue risk.
