How to buy JPMorgan Chase shares

By: James Knight

When he isn’t at work, James is an avid trader and golfer who likes to travel. He once fed,… read more.

Updated: May 18, 2021

This page teaches you everything you need to know about JPMorgan Chase. Get an overview of the company, its investment prospects, and any potential pitfalls to look out for.

Compare the best JPMorgan Chase trading platforms

You can make your investment right away by signing up to any of the brokers below. We’ve reviewed all the leading platforms to help you pick one. If you aren’t ready to do that just yet, keep reading to learn more.

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

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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

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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 JPMorgan Chase stock, a step-by-step guide

The process of investing isn’t massively complicated, so don’t worry even if you’re new to the stock market. These are the steps to follow in order to complete your investment:

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 JPMorgan Chase shares.
4. Place an order for JPM stock. Search for JPMorgan Chase’s ticker symbol (JPM) and see the current price at which the stock is trading. If you’re happy with the price, enter the amount of shares you want 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 JPMorgan Chase shares will be listed in your account. Congratulations, you’ve just bought shares in JPMorgan Chase.

What is JPMorgan Chase? And should I invest?

JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in America and one of the most valuable in the world. Its current form is the result of a series of mergers since the mid-1990s, where a group of large banks have gradually combined to become a single major institution.

Its size means that JPMorgan Chase offers virtually every banking service imaginable. The JPMorgan brand is the investment banking arm, while Chase is predominantly for retail and commercial banking. 

You might want to invest in a financial stock like this if you think the economic outlook is good. Banks tend to be cyclical, so recessions can hurt their bottom line, but they’re also so crucial to the economy that governments would rather bail them out than let them fail. JPMorgan’s size and importance reduces the risk of investing in it.

How has the company performed in recent years?

Overall it has done well, although there have been some bumps over the last few years. Between 2015 and 2020 the stock price doubled, then half of it was wiped out by the market crash that accompanied coronavirus lockdowns.

JPMorgan regained most of that value very quickly. While the economic situation hasn’t been ideal for retail banks for a while – low interest rates reduce profit margins, while more uncertainty makes loans much more risky – the business in trading and investing has been booming.

Since JPMorgan does everything, the trading division has managed to carry the business through the tough times. In 2020 the retail operation’s revenue fell by 40% while trading increased by more than 20%, the biggest gap in performance in a decade. 

Is it a good time to buy JPMorgan shares now?

If you like banking stocks then JPMorgan Chase is one of the safest. As 2020 showed, its all-round service shields it from the worst economic environments, even if the overall performance is still cyclical to some extent.

In recent times it has been expanding into new markets. Its banner new venture is to launch a digital bank in the UK with the backing and security of JPMorgan’s name. Ideally, to attract people who might want digital services but be anxious about putting their money into a startup bank.

Keeping an eye out for any expansion into new markets is a good idea as there’s lots of potential in them. The other news to take note of is lawsuits. JPMorgan, like a lot of banks, regularly pays out millions in fines for all sorts of reasons. Our market analysis is the best place to find the latest news:

Buying, selling and trading JPMorgan Chase 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 beforehand.

1. Research the company. You should always examine the fundamentals of a company first. What is JPMorgan Chase? How did the company get its start? How did it grow? Is JPMorgan Chase’s revenue and profit growth picking up? Is the company innovating? The more you know about JPMorgan Chase, 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 have low fees but have a user interface or app platform 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.
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 bullish, 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 JPMorgan Chase shares. Here’s a quick run-through of what’s involved in each.

Buying JPMorgan Chase

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

Selling JPMorgan Chase

When you sell any JPMorgan Chase shares, 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 for a long period of time, hoping to benefit from the company growing steadily throughout. Or, if you see that JPMorgan Chase’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 JPMorgan Chase

Trading is the same process as, 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 JPMorgan Chase shares through buying and selling shares, 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 distracted 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 buy and sell stocks fast to profit from short-term fluctuations in value.

One aspect of CFD trading 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 JPM 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 neither of these options appeal to you, then you can find a variety of other ways to invest in JPM stock on this page. If, however, you’re ready to buy JPMorgan Chase shares now, simply select one of the brokers in the table above and get started. 

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 stocks you’re looking for. 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 get JPMorgan Chase shares using a specific payment method, such as PayPal. 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.