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STOCK MARKET - What are relatively cheap to buy, have a high resale value,
and will work for you no matter what type of Neopian you are, all while you
sit back and relax? Stocks. You might think that stocks are only profitable
for Neomillionaires, or that the stock market is too confusing, but just look
at the benefits. Stocks can and do make you rich if you’re willing to put in
the time required and have the shopping savvy.
The least you should know is that you can give the stock market a try, virtually
risk-free. Here’s how.
The Basics
The stock market can look overwhelming at first. Just take it slowly. Go to
the main page of Neopets and find the little Chia with the words “Neodaq Index”
written under it, or click here. You’re now at the main
stock market page.
The stock market is a constant buy-and-sell game. Neopian companies let you
invest in them by buying shares of stock, or parts of the company. Each company
has a ticker symbol, usually an abbreviation of the name. For example, HUW is
the symbol for Hubert’s Hot Dogs. If the company does well, your shares go up
in value. If not, they decline. But the stock market fluctuates constantly,
and what’s down will eventually come up, and what’s up will come down.
Now that you have a general understanding of the market, let’s go over all
the major parts of it. The home page features the very rich Nigel the Chia and
a little bit about the stock market. Near the top of the page is a marquee that
shows how much every stock is currently worth and how the value changed that
day. (Black means no change, green means the stock went up, red means it went
down.)
Click “Find Stocks” and you’ll be given a search option to find stocks and
a list of the stocks’ logos, symbols, company names, and data on the recent
changes. You can compare how much a stock was worth at the start of the day
(“open”) to how much it is now (“curr”) and the percentage of change (“change”).
If you want to buy a stock, click the ticker symbol.
Next is “News/Research,” a valuable tool. It offers information on how stocks
are going and hints for what stocks might go out of business (Yes, if a company
goes bankrupt, your stock becomes worthless, so make sure to check this page.)
and the stock of the day. “Profile,” the link to the right of News/Research,
is just a way to quickly find a company.
“Message Board” takes you to--you guessed it--the Stock Market Message Board.
Here you can ask questions about the market, make predictions, or just chat
with other investors.
One page you’ll be checking daily is “My Portfolio.” This contains a list of
all the stocks you’ve purchased and how well they’re doing. I’ll get back to
this later.
Two other links are “Buy” and “Sell,” which are just that. If you want to buy
a stock, click “Buy” and enter the stock’s symbol and how many shares you want.
(Make sure you have enough NP on hand to pay for it.) Alternately, when you’re
ready to sell, go to “Sell” and enter how much of your stock you’d like to sell.
Nigel the Chia will charge 20 NP as commission each time you sell stocks. There’s
no limit to how much you can sell, but you can only buy 1000 shares per day.
Last but not least is the “Help” page, which provides frequently asked questions
and answers about the stock market.
Now, on to the good stuff. Find your class and read the section about stocks
that applies to you.
I. Lower Class
If you’re just starting out on Neopets and don’t have more than a few tens
of thousands of NP, stocks may not be your best source of income. A good amount
of shares in the stock market can be costly for you and will take a long time
to reap a profit. A better solution would be to try flash games or the shops.
But if you still want to give it a go, consider buying 100-500 shares of a
stock per day. You can only buy stocks that are priced 15 NP per share or higher,
so 100 shares of a 15 NP stock would cost you 1,500 NP. When the stock rises
to 20 NP per share or more, sell it. You’ll only make 480 NP (Nigel charges
20 NP per selling transaction), but the more NP you make, the more you can invest.
II. Middle Class
Most Neopians fall into this category, and it can be a great way to make loads
of NP--if you’re willing to be patient. Have your portfolio ready, as it will
come in handy.
First, buy 1,000 shares of a stock every day. You can only buy shares over
15 NP each, but don’t pay more than 20 NP per share for one. This will cost
at least 15,000 NP per day, but trust me, it’s worth it. Invest in a stock you
think will do well, like one that has done well before or one that’s climbing
up after a recession. Companies like BOOM, EEEEE, FISH, JCK, LUPE, NAKR, PEOP,
SKBD, SWNC, and TNAH have done well in the past, so start with those. You’ll
have to know the market for awhile before you can pinpoint stocks that might
increase in value.
However, most of the stock market is luck. If you buy enough stocks, a few
might be valuable very quickly, but you’ll usually have to be patient. Prepare
to leave some stocks in your portfolio for weeks, if not months, before they
climb in value. After a week or two of buying, just sit tight and watch your
stocks.
Check your portfolio every day. Sell a stock after it reaches around 25 NP
per share, then buy another cheap one to replace it. If you sold 1,000 shares
of NATN for 26,000 and bought VPTS for 16,000, you’ll have made nearly ten thousand
NP (Nigel the Chia takes away 20 NP for every selling transaction) just by waiting.
And VPTS, or any other stock you buy, can always increase in value, so the NP
isn’t lost.
Remember to diversify your investing. You can buy more than 1,000 shares of
a company if you buy on different days, but don’t pool all of your NP in just
one or two stocks. Buy equal amounts in many stocks and you’ll come out with
more NP in the end.
Don’t worry too much about a stock going out of business. In my years of playing
the stock market, none of my stocks have been bankrupt. If it does happen, though,
don’t worry--you can easily make up the price. And if a stock lingers below
the price you paid for it, don’t go out and sell it--unlike in real life, stocks
don’t get “rotten” and stay low forever. Just wait for a peak time in the market
and the stock should bounce back up again.
III. Upper Class
Neomillionaires, you don’t need to invest in the stock market for fabulous
wealth, but it’s a good way to maintain it. Follow the Middle Class guide, but
buy many more stocks, maybe until your portfolio reaches 25 types or more, and
buy more than 1,000 shares of the same stock (just buy more of the same stock
on different days).
Also, you can wait longer on large amounts of NP, so don’t sell your stocks
until they reach 30 NP per share or more. This way, you should reap a lot of
NP in the market.
With a little patience, investment and luck, you could get a lot of NP in the
stock market. If you have any questions or comments, Neomail
me.
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