Stock (equity)
A share of ownership in a company.
Owning stock means owning a slice of a company. Prices rise and fall with the company outlook and the wider market.
A share of stock is a slice of ownership in a company. Own one and you own a fraction of its assets and future profits, along with a vote in some decisions. Price moves with what the market thinks those future profits are worth, which is why expectations, not just current earnings, drive the tape.
A stock can pay you two ways: the price rises so you sell higher than you bought, or the company pays part of its profit out as a dividend. Individual stocks carry company-specific risk, one bad earnings report can gap a share down overnight, which is why many traders spread exposure across an index or an ETF rather than betting the account on a single name.