The share market is a platform where buyers and sellers come together to trade on publicly listed shares during specific hours of the day. People often use the terms 'share market' and 'stock market' interchangeably.

Shares represent ownership of a company. When an individual buys shares in your company, they become one of its owners. Shareholders choose who runs a company and are involved in making key decisions, such as whether a business should be sold.

Stocks represent a share of ownership in a publicly held company. Private companies do not issue stock. As a stockholder, the investor has a claim on the assets of the company in exchange for money paid for the stock.

Class I shares might have lower overall fees than Class A, B or C shares, but they would be sold only to institutional investors making large fund share purchases. However, these shares may be available to retail investors through their employers (e.g., through a retirement plan).

Stocks represent ownership equity in the firm and give shareholders voting rights as well as a residual claim on corporate earnings in the form of capital gains and dividends. Individual and institutional investors come together on stock exchanges to buy and sell shares in a public venue.

Activity Sheet 1: What is a Stock? Stocks represent a share of ownership in a publicly held company. Private companies do not issue stock. As a stockholder, the investor has a claim on the assets of the company in exchange for money paid for the stock.

A share is the single smallest denomination of a company's stock. So if you're divvying up stock and referring to specific characteristics, the proper word to use is shares. Technically speaking, shares represent units of stock. Common and preferred refer to different classes of a company's stock.