Buy Apple shares in the UK - Commission-free

Apple is a multinational technology company headquartered in California. It has emerged as the world’s most valuable firm thanks to the roaring success of products including the iPhone, iPad and iPod, which need no introduction. Alongside its wildly successful hardware products, its software includes iOS, iTunes and Safari, while it runs a broad range of services, from Apple TV to Apple Pay.

Apple is known as one of the “big five” tech companies, alongside Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft and Facebook. Steve Jobs founded the company along with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Payne back in April 1976. Jobs and Wozniak initially hired a team of computer designers working on a production line in Jobs’ garage. It flourished in the early 1980s but lost its way after Jobs and Wozniak left the business.

Apple swiftly returned to profitability after Jobs returned to the company as chief executive in September 1997. He launched the iMac and the iPod, opened a chain of Apple stores and embarked upon an ambitious acquisition drive. The real game-changer for Apple came in 2007when Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the Macworld Conference & Expo. It was met with huge critical acclaim, and it quickly blew rival devices out of the water.

The firm branched out into tablets and watches, while continually bolstering its software and services. Jobs sadly passed away in 2011, with Tim Cook taking over as chief executive. Apple has continued to enjoy immense growth over the past decade. In 2018, it became the first publicly-traded company to be worth more than $1 trillion, and then became the first to smash through the $2 trillion mark two years later. 

Revenue reached $274.5 billion in 2020, with operating income of $66.3 billion and net income of $57.4 billion. In January 2021, it became the world’s most valuable company, with 147,000 full-time employees and 510 retail stores spread across the globe.

You can buy Apple shares UK by registering with an online broker that offers access to the NASDAQ, where the company trades under the symbol AAPL. However, you have to pay trading fees and then review your position regularly. As Apple is the world’s most valuable company, it is unlikely to soar in value as a smaller company could. Any investing gains are therefore relatively modest and require patience. Many people, therefore, prefer to buy and sell Apple CFDs, which offer the potential for quick, large profits if you make the right predictions.

Apple CFDs allow you to speculate on whether the stock will go up or down in value. A CFD is a financial derivative, so you do not actually need to go through the rigmarole of buying, holding and selling Apple shares. You simply take out a contract with nextmarkets covering Apple’s share price over a specific period of time.

CFD stands for contract for difference. It means the buyer agrees to pay the seller the difference between Apple’s share price at the start of the contract and Apple’s share price at end of the contract. You can buy (go long) if you think Apple stock will increase in value, or sell (go short) if you think Apple will decrease in value. The more right you are, the higher the profit you earn. However, if you call it incorrectly, you will incur a loss, so it is important to conduct thorough research before executing a trade.

Trading Apple CFDs is simple and convenient at nextmarkets, and you will not be charged a commission on trades. Your first step will be to set up a free stock trading UK account by entering personal details and completing a KYC (know your customer process). When you have an account with the best stock broker UK, you can start to trade CFDs.

Head over to the “Markets” section of the site and navigate to shares, where you can buy Apple shares UK, buy Tesla shares UK, buy Apple shares UK and so on. Apple is understandably one of the most popular shares to trade. When you click on it, you will see a chart detailing AAPL’s recent performance. You can then choose to buy Apple shares UK (go long) or sell Apple shares (go short). The amount of contracts you buy or sell determines the size of the profit or loss you will be left with when you close the trade.

You can monitor your trade and close it whenever you like. You can also have multiple trades open at the same time, or hedge by going long and then going short further down the line. Trading gives you a great deal of flexibility compared to simply buying Apple shares UK.

Fundamental and technical analysis can help you work out whether Apple shares will increase or decrease in value. Fundamental analysis helps you work out if a stock is undervalued or overvalued. You attempt to measure its intrinsic value by analysing the relevant financial and economic factors, including the company’s price to earnings ratio, balance sheet, price to book value, interest rates, strategic initiatives, microeconomic indicators, the strength of its competitors and broader consumer patterns.

Anyone trying to work out if Apple’s share price will go up or down might like to consider upcoming announcements, such as financial results, the launch of a new iPhone, the findings of antitrust hearings and so on. These often have a bearing on the firm’s share price in the short-term.

Technical analysis focuses on the historical market data that is available on Apple stock, including trading volume and price. It incorporates quantitative analysis, behavioural economics and market psychology. You essentially use past trends in an effort to predict the future behaviour of the share price, using chart patterns and statistical indicators. It often involves candlestick formations, trendlines, bands and boxes. Many traders combine technical analysis with fundamental analysis to make predictions from a position of strength.

Apple is the world’s most valuable company and it looks set to retain its status as a tech giant long into the future. It is just getting started with 5G smartphones, and it has a steady pipeline of innovation to keep markets excited in the months and years ahead. However, its share price will always ebb and flow due to the vagaries of the market, and trading CFDs presents you with a tantalising opportunity to capitalise on those fluctuations.

You can speculate on the share price going up or down, and use a range of sophisticated tools to control your trades. It can be very exciting, but you should always stick to reputable trading brokers, conduct thorough research and trade within your means.