Invest in the companies you believe in

Why invest in individual stocks?

When you buy a share, you own a small piece of that company. If it grows and becomes more profitable, the value of your share can rise — and you may also receive dividends, which are regular payments from the company's profits.

Investing in individual stocks gives you complete control over what you own. You can back the companies you believe in, avoid the ones you don't, and build a portfolio that reflects your own research and convictions. It's the most direct form of investing — you're not outsourcing decisions to a fund manager or an index.

What to look for in a stock

There's no single formula for picking winners, but many successful investors focus on a few key areas:

• Understand the business. Can you explain what the company does in a sentence? If not, dig deeper. The best investments are often in businesses you genuinely understand.
• Look at the financials. Is revenue growing? Is the company profitable? How much debt does it carry? Abervest's research tools help you find and compare these numbers quickly.
• Consider the competitive advantage. Does the company have something that makes it hard for competitors to copy — a strong brand, network effects, patents, or unique technology?
• Think long-term. Don't buy a stock just because it's had a good week. Ask yourself: do I believe in this company's prospects over the next 5 to 10 years?

Markets you can access

Through Abervest, you can trade stocks listed on major exchanges across the UK, US, and Europe — giving you exposure to thousands of companies, from FTSE 100 stalwarts to fast-growing US tech names and beyond.

Every trade is commission-free, and our real-time execution means your orders fill at the moment price crosses — not minutes later when the market may have moved against you.

Building a balanced stock portfolio

Diversification matters as much with individual stocks as it does with funds. A common rule of thumb is to hold at least 10–15 stocks across different sectors and regions, so a downturn in any one area doesn't disproportionately hurt your portfolio.

Many investors combine individual stocks with ETFs to get the best of both worlds: core diversification through low-cost index funds, plus targeted bets on companies where they've done their homework.