That really depends on the timing within the market. I think from all the suggestions just go with Microsoft stocks to buy. I would go buy them myself since they are more profitable in the long run.
It's worth sticking to the big names in the big industries in your own market. And probably ones that are reasonably easy to understand. So in the US it makes sense to look at Apple, Microsoft, General Electric and Exxon, for example. The only exceptions to this approach I would have are the Financial companies - slightly more complicated animals in a post-financial crisis regulatory environment, given the stress tests, Basel requirements and so on. You can use the same approach across other markets as well.
There really isn´t any difference between Nasdaq stocks and the NYSE. The difference you are thinking is generally in the size of the company. All things said and done, bigger companies are usually more stable and older companies that you have heard of are stable also. NASDAQ is more likely to have smaller companies, but it also has some of the bigger companies in the world.
P&G is a great first company because it is big, diverse and also because it has a dividend. If you are going to learn to invest, one important concept to understand is where dividend yield plays into the picture and their implications for taxes. If you are young and want to be aggressive, then stocks that pay a dividend my not be for you, but you still should see how it all works so you can make better decisions.
Nasdaq stocks on the whole are substantially more volatile. The index is more volatile than the S&P and the Dow, and the exchange also tends to have issues that pop up from time to time. Keep an eye on the "market movers" from day to day towards the bottom of this page on the right: http://www.cnbc.com/ Nasdaq "winners" and "losers" are always up or down big from day to day.
I would research and research until you find a small company with a bright future. I'm sure a lot of people are telling you to buy the MSFT or APPL of the world but if you are young, its the time to take chances. Good luck!
I am not a big fan of simulators for beginners because 99% of mistakes beginners are going to make is because of emotions. If it is fake money, you have much less emotions involved. You can learn some things, but it really is completely different.
I Started out with safer large cap stocks. Then higher paying dividend stocks. Next I'd like to acquire 3 sectors I don't own now & 1 spec. stock. From there I'd save my money to own 1 property and/or with dwelling to flip. After that it be starting my own conglomerate service business & branch it off to retail service business, & last but least buy or build a commercial building leasing business. To be honest I'd be out doing myself just to be able to achieve half these goals but if I didn't dream I'd have nothing to motivate me.
How do you go about actually buying the stocks, do you go with a firm like TD Ameritrade, or do you purchase them from the company itself?
