By Kenan Pollack Intro From Dow Jones to dividends, you've probably heard at least some stock market talk. If you have money to spare, you probably should think about it. Stocks have historically represented one of the best investments you can make, and financial experts believe that stocks should be the backbone of most portfolios. Tutorial Stocks represent partial ownership in a public corporation.
Stockholders can make money in two ways.
The first is through dividends. Most companies that pay regular dividends do so quarterly. But not all companies declare dividends. Younger companies tend not to declare dividends, but to plow that money back into the company to spur future growth. The answer could be a strong economy, a strong performance by the company issuing the stock, or the prospect that a competitor might buy up or merge with the firm.