Equity Trading
Publicly traded stocks fall into different categories, offering various levels of return and opportunities to diversify. You can easily screen these stocks by security type.
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| Common stock |
Buy a share of ownership in a public corporation. As a shareholder, you may receive quarterly dividends, which are one way for a company to share its profits. Shares may also appreciate in value, enabling shareholders to realize a profit when those shares are sold. |
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| Depository receipt |
Invest internationally with this transferable security that is traded on a U.S. stock exchange but represents a security issued by a publicly listed foreign company. |
| Unit trust fund |
Buy a piece of ownership in a pooled investment, limited partnership, or master limited partnership interest. A large number of unit trust funds operate in the commodities, natural resources, real estate, and financial services industries. |
| Real estate investment trust (REIT) |
These securities invest in real estate by either purchasing properties directly or holding mortgages. A REIT is required to invest at least 75% of its total assets in real estate and distribute 90% of its taxable income to investors. Types of REIT investments may be available in the following security types:
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| Preferred securities |
Invest in these securities and experience the characteristics of both stocks and bonds. Dividends paid to preferred shareholders usually have a higher priority within the issuing company's capital structure than those of common stockholders. So if a company were forced to reduce or suspend dividend payments, common stock dividends would be impacted before preferred dividends. |
| Closed-end funds (CEFs) |
Invest in a variety of securities, much as you would with conventional open-end mutual funds. However, unlike open-end mutual funds, CEFs trade and are priced intraday—like stocks on an exchange—at prices determined by buyers and sellers. |
| Variable interest entity (VIE) | A VIE is a company in which control is established and enforced through a series of contractual arrangements, rather than through equity ownership. In some countries with restrictions on foreign direct investment, companies may use VIEs as investment vehicles to offer shares to foreigners. However, because ownership of a variable interest entity does not represent true ownership of the company’s assets, investing in VIEs carries additional risks.* |
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