Australian shares are one of the most popular investment types among Australian investors. When you buy shares (also referred to as ‘equities’ or ‘stocks’) you are buying a part ownership or equity in a company. If you own shares in a company you become a shareholder. As a shareholder, you may be entitled to participate in shareholder voting and receive a share of the company’s profits in the form of dividends.
When a public company is listed on a share market (also referred to as a ‘stock exchange’) its shares can be traded through brokers such as Westpac Share Trading. The value of a share depends on several factors, including how much money the company earns and is expected to earn in the future.
Key features of a share market
The share market is a transparent and regulated marketplace through which shares in public companies are bought and sold. In Australia, two of the main exchanges are the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and Cboe Australia (CXA), which are both accessible through Westpac Share Trading.
Owning shares offers flexibility and control through direct ownership. Once you own shares in a particular company, you can sell them to other investors in the share market.
Getting started
You don’t need a lot of money to get started as the minimum parcel size you can purchase through Westpac Share Trading is $500.
Westpac Share Trading makes buying and selling shares easy with the option to trade online through our website, mobile app, or over the phone.
Things you should know
Westpac Securities Limited ABN 39 087 924 221, AFSL 233723 (‘Westpac Securities’) (trading as ‘Westpac Share Trading’) provides the opportunity to trade listed financial products through our arrangement with Australian Investment Exchange Limited ABN 71 076 515 930, AFSL 241400 (‘AUSIEX’), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nomura Research Institute, Ltd (‘NRI’). AUSIEX is a Market Participant of the ASX Limited (‘ASX’) and Cboe Australia Pty Ltd (‘Cboe’), a Clearing Participant of ASX Clear Pty Limited and a Settlement Participant of ASX Settlement Pty Limited. Neither AUSIEX nor Westpac Securities are representatives of each other. Westpac Securities is not a related party of AUSIEX, NRI, ASX or Cboe. Under this arrangement, all trading, clearing, settlement and stock sponsorship arrangements are directly with AUSIEX. AUSIEX is not authorised to carry on business in any jurisdiction other than Australia. Accordingly, the information contained in this website is directed to and available for Australian residents only.
You should read the Westpac Securities and AUSIEX Financial Services Guides (“FSGs”), which provide you with information on the services Westpac Securities and AUSIEX can provide. You can access the FSGs via https://westpac.com.au/personal-banking/share-trading.
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If a Product Disclosure Statement is available in relation to a particular financial product, you should obtain and consider that Product Disclosure Statement before making any decisions about whether to acquire the financial product.
Any securities or prices used in the examples on this website are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold.
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Westpac Securities is a wholly owned subsidiary of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714 (‘Westpac’) and part of the Westpac Group. A financial product acquired through Westpac Securities is not a deposit with, or any liability of Westpac or any other company in the Westpac Group. Investment in a financial product is subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment or loss of income and principal invested. Neither Westpac nor any of its related entities stands behind or otherwise guarantees the capital value or investment performance of any financial product acquired through Westpac Securities.
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