How to buy GameStop Shares

By: Max Adams

Max has a keen interest in the transformative power of technology and is the founder of a platform called… read more.

Updated: May 18, 2021

This guide takes you through everything you need to consider before putting your money into GameStop. From how to tell if you’ve missed the boat to the best brokers to use, keep reading to find out more.

Compare the best GameStop trading platforms

If you’re looking to invest immediately, then simply select one of our trusted partners in the table below to open an account. On the other hand, if you need more information then just scroll down and we’ll walk you through the details.

1

Min. Deposit

$50

Exclusive promotion

user-score

10

Trade/invest in stocks with just $50

Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day

Over 11 payment methods, including PayPal

Start Trading

more info

Description:

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform with more than 2000 assets, including FX, stocks, ETF’s, indices and commodities. eToro users can connect with, learn from, and copy or get copied by other users. Buying stocks on eToro is free and you can invest with as little as $50.

Payment Methods

Bank Transfer, Wire Transfer

Full regulations list:

CySEC, FCA

eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro. Your capital is at risk.

2

Min. Deposit

$1

Exclusive promotion

user-score

9.3

0 Commissions and no deposit minimums

Registered with and regulated by SEC and FINRA

Loss of cash protection

Start Trading

more info

Description:

Financial company driven by technology and offering all-in-one self-directed investment platform that provides excellent user experience.

Payment Methods

Full regulations list:

How to buy GameStop stock, a step-by-step guide

If you’re new to investing, we can help. These are the steps to follow in order to start your journey on the stock market:

1. Choose a broker. The first thing you need to find is an online brokerage platform. There are many different options to choose from, each with their own unique benefits and drawbacks. The comparison table above can help you select the right broker for you, and you can head to our comprehensive broker reviews if you’re still unsure.
2. Create an account. Once you’ve selected your broker, simply go to their website and create an account. The steps required for this will vary from platform to platform, but generally you can expect to have to provide your name, email address, phone number, and some form of photo identification.
3. Deposit funds. Log into your broker account and select the option to deposit funds. Depending on your broker you’ll have a variety of payment options available; most brokers accept bank transfers and debit card payments, but not all accept e-wallets such as PayPal. Select your preferred payment method and deposit the amount of money you wish to invest in GameStop shares.
4. Place an order for GME stock. Search for GameStop’s ticker symbol (GME) and see the current price at which the stock is trading. If you’re happy with the price, enter the amount of shares you wish to own and place your order.
5. Execute your order. Once you have placed your order, your broker will automatically execute it for you and your GameStop shares will be listed in your account. Congratulations, you’ve just bought shares in GameStop!

What is GameStop? And should I invest?

GameStop (NYSE: GME) is a company that sells video games, electronics, and other gaming-related products. Founded in Texas in 1984, the company now operates internationally with more than 5,000 stores worldwide. 

Whether you should invest in GameStop or not depends on a variety of factors – both short and long term. A surge of interest in the stock sent the GME share price skyrocketing in January of 2021, and many people have been left wondering if this impressive performance can continue. Even if the price were to level out again, the attention this has given to GameStop’s brand could be reason to be more bullish about its long-term prospects.

The brand had to close almost 450 locations in 2020 after poor performance during the pandemic, but now it’s not quite so clear what the business’s long term prospects are likely to be.

How has the company performed in recent years?

To start with the very recent, GameStop became a household name in 2021 after the subreddit r/WallStreetBets encouraged retail investors to buy shares in the company. At the start of 2021, GME shares traded at just below $20 – by January 27th they were above $350 a share.

This move was inspired by hedge funds adopting ‘short’ positions on GME stock, and independent retail investors piling money into the shares to take on the finance pros. The resulting huge price increases saw the Melvin Capital hedge fund lose billions of dollars.

Prior to this huge spike, GameStop was performing relatively poorly (one of the reasons why the funds were shorting the stock in the first place). As a primarily ‘bricks and mortar’ retailer, GameStop had been losing ground over the past 5 years to more online-based companies, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to them having to close all stores temporarily in March 2020.

There was a lifeline thrown in August 2020 when activist investor Ryan Cohen bought a 13% stake in the company. He began to push GameStop towards the online space, with ambitious plans to compete with Amazon, and joined the company’s board in January 2021. This saw GME’s share price rise, which then kicked off the battle between the hedge funds and WallStreetBets which saw the stock skyrocket.

Is it a good time to buy GameStop shares now?

This is the question everyone is trying to answer right now. As when trading any stock, the most important thing to consider is what approach you’re looking to take: short term or long term.

If your aim is to trade GameStop stock in the short term to take advantage of market fluctuations, then you’ll want to read up on technical analysis and how to read stock charts. You’ll also want to keep on top of all the latest news and analysis, as GME shares are moving fast and it’s important to see past the volatility and keep a cool head.

You might prefer to take a long term approach to investing in the stock market and in this case the day-to-day fluctuations of GameStop’s stocks will be of less concern as opposed to the company’s future prospects. You’ll want to undertake a fundamental analysis of GameStop to see if you think there’s money to be made by investing, and you can use our most recent analysis to help you:

Buying, selling, and trading GameStop shares for beginners

What to do before buying shares

You should always take the time to research a stock fully before investing your money, especially if you haven’t bought shares before. The more knowledge you have, the better your chances of making a wise investment. 

With that in mind, here’s a checklist to run through before you start.

1. Research the company. You should always examine the fundamentals of a company first. What is GameStop? How did the company get its start? How did it grow? Is GameStop’s revenue and profit growth picking up? Is the company innovating? The more you know about GameStop, the better positioned you’ll be to make smart investment decisions.
2. Make sure you understand the basics of stock investing. Before getting involved in the stock market, make sure you have an understanding of how it works. This will ensure that you have more clearly defined goals and have thought through how you will achieve them.
3. Decide between share dealing and CFD trading. Choose the type of investment strategy you want to pursue, and make sure you have carried out the necessary fundamental or technical analysis for share dealing and CFD trading respectively.
4. Set the size of your budget. The golden rule of investing is never to risk more than you can afford to lose. Not every investment you make will result in a profit, so it is important to set a budget that not only allows good potential for capital growth, but also protects against overly damaging losses.
5. Find the right broker. Individual brokers each have their own pros and cons. Some will have low fees but have a user interface you struggle to understand, whereas others may be a bit more expensive but come with a range of features that you want to take advantage of. Our in-depth reviews can help you find the right platform for you.
6. Examine broader market conditions. No stock exists in a vacuum, and it’s always important to analyse the general trends of the stock market as a whole before investing. If a bear market is setting in and stock prices are falling, it’s best to wait it out and invest your money later when the stock is cheaper. If, however, the market is looking bearish, you’ll want to make your investment quickly to get the maximum benefit from rising stock prices. Our news section can help you keep on top of movements in the financial markets.

What is the difference between buying, selling, and trading shares?

If you’re new to stock investing, then it’s important to understand the basics of how to buy, sell, and trade GameStop shares. Here’s a quick run-through of what’s involved in each.

Buying GameStop

This process involves finding a broker and placing an order for GameStop shares, as outlined in the steps further up this page. Ideally you want to time your investment when the stock’s price is low so that you can profit by selling the shares after they increase in value.

Selling GameStop

When you sell any GameStop shares you have bought, you’ll want to do so at a higher price than the one at which you bought to earn a profit. 

When you sell is up to you. You might decide to hold stocks for the long term, hoping to benefit from the company growing steadily throughout. Or, if you see that GameStop’s stock is already up a lot compared to the price you bought it and you’ve noticed that the stock market is starting to fall, it might make sense to sell and take your profits to invest elsewhere. Equally, if the stock has fallen since you bought it and looks set to fall further, it might be a good idea to cut your losses by selling your shares.

Trading GameStop

Trading is the same process , it’s just done over shorter periods of time with the aim to make small profits on a regular basis. This means that you can make money faster and spend your profits in your day-to-day life – however, on the other side it means you can lose money faster as well. For inexperienced investors, we generally recommend making investments for at least 6 months to a year instead of making trades in quick succession.

You can trade GameStop shares through share dealing, or by trading with CFDs. These allow investors to speculate on stock prices and trade with leverage in pursuit of bigger gains. CFDs trading is explained further in the next section, but it is worth noting that beginners should avoid trading with leverage. It comes with large risks and is best left to experienced investors.

Share dealing vs CFD trading

When it comes to investing in any stock, the two options you have are share dealing and trading. Which one of these methods to opt for largely depends on your investment timeline, with investors thinking long term tending to go for share dealing, and those looking for short term gains pursuing a more aggressive trading strategy.

Here’s a quick summary of the two approaches, and the pros and cons of each.

Share dealing 

Share dealing refers to the practice of holding shares in a particular company over the long term. When investing like this, you’re seeking to profit either from dividend payments or an increase in the stock’s price over time.

When investing your money this way, it is important to do thorough fundamental analysis of the company in which you are investing. You want to put your money in a stock you believe will trend upwards over time, even if there is some market volatility along the way, rather than get GMEtracted by shorter term peaks and troughs.

Pros

• Can build wealth over time to achieve financial goals
• Don’t need to be very reactive to short-term market movements
• Some stocks will give you an income through regular dividend payments

Cons

• Takes a long time to realise any profits
• Your capital is tied up in stocks and cannot be used for other investments

CFD Trading 

If your aim is to generate profits in the short term, then you might be better off trading shares than holding them in your portfolio. Stock trades like this are executed using CFDs (contracts for difference), which allow investors to trade against the value of a stock without having to take ownership of it. When CFD trading, investors are looking to flip stocks fast to profit from short-term fluctuations in value.

One aspect of trading CFDs that many investors find attractive is that they allow you to trade with leverage. This means you can place large trades while only putting up a fraction of the value yourself – for instance, if a platform offered leverage of 1:10, you could put £10 into GME shares and be able to trade £100 worth. This can maximise profits if the market moves in your favour, but be careful as it can also lead to heavy losses.

When trading using CFDs, it is key to be skilled at technical analysis and reading stock price charts. As you’re trading stocks quickly and frequently, the fundamental strength of the company in which you’re investing isn’t as important as being able to predict how its stock price will rise and fall minute-by-minute.

Pros

• Can generate fast profits if you read the market right 
• Some platforms allow you to trade with leverage
• Prevents your capital being tied up so you can take advantage of investment opportunities

Cons

• Trading with leverage is risky and can lead to big losses
• Doesn’t necessarily generate growth over the long term

Consider which approach suits you best and craft an investment strategy that works for you. If you need more information, then simply take our range of trading courses and read our guide to CFD trading to get you up to speed. 

How to choose a broker

With the wide variety of online brokers available these days, it can be hard to figure out which is the best service to go with. Our comparison table and in-depth reviews can help you cut through the noise, but by and large these are the aspects you should be considering when selecting a broker:

• Range of stocks available. The most important thing is that you can actually find the shares you want on your chosen broker platform. Some brokers offer more stocks than others, and many will allow you to trade other assets, such as forex and commodities.
• Fees and commissions. You want to keep as large a chunk of your profits as you can, so it’s important to make sure your broker doesn’t charge high fees that can eat into your profits.
• Regulation. You should only use regulated brokers to place trades. Unregulated brokers can be risky and offer little to no protection if the business were to fail while you had funds in your account.
• Payment methods available. You might want to use a specific payment method, such as PayPal, to fund your account. Not all brokers accept every payment method, but using our comparisons you can search only the brokers that support the option you’re looking for.
• Reputation. One of the strongest indicators of a broker’s reliability is the reputation it has with the customers who have used it. Brokers are online businesses, and as such many user experiences can be found online. You can check these out in addition to our reviews to make sure you choose the right platform.
• Customer service. As you’re going to be investing your money using the platform, you want to check that the broker offers good customer service in case you have a query or something goes wrong.