How to buy Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA) shares

Interested in buying Commonwealth Bank shares, but not sure where to start? We take you step-by-step through the process of owning CommBank shares.

What is Commonwealth Bank?

Commonwealth Bank was established in 1911 by the Australian government and fully privatised in 1996. It is considered one of the ‘four big banks’ alongside National Bank of Australia (NAB), Westpac and ANZ. CommBank, as it is also known, made its stock market debut in 1991 and today is one of the biggest companies in Australia.

Like most banks, CommBank provides everyday accounts, savings and term deposits, credit cards, personal loans and home loans. It also has an investment platform (CommSec), a micro-investing platform called (CommSec Pocket) and buy now, pay later services known as StepPay.

How to buy Commonwealth Bank (CBA)

1. Compare share trading platforms

Before you can buy Commonwealth Bank shares you will need an online share trading platform. There are many platforms to choose from so it is best to shop around and find a one that suits your needs. Consider your level of experience investing, the fees involved and the features the platforms offer.

2. Open and fund your brokerage account

Once you have decided on a platform you can open your account. Typically you will need at least two forms of identification and a bank account to link your brokerage account with. When your account is set up you will need to transfer some money into your brokerage account so you can buy CBA shares.

3. Evaluate Commonwealth Banks financial Health

It is always a good idea to seriously consider a company before investing in it. There are a number of ways to analyse a stock, but a good place to start is to have a clear idea of what the company does, how they make money, how they intend to grow the company and what their current financial position is.

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4. Decide when to buy Commonwealth Bank’s stock

Timing the market is notoriously difficult, but one thing to keep in mind is the mantra: ‘buy low, sell high’. You may not be able to tell which direction a stock may go, but by looking at some historical data you may get an idea of whether a stock is currently trading low or high.

5. Determine how much you want to invest

Nothing is ever guaranteed, especially on the stock market. Even if you thoroughly analyse a stock and attempt to buy when prices are low, you still might make a loss. So, another safety measure you can take is to only invest what you can comfortably afford to lose.

6. Buy your Commonwealth Bank shares

If you are pushing ahead and ready to purchase CBA shares it should be fairly straightforward. Log into your investment platform, select the shares that you wish to buy and, either how many shares you’d like or the amount you wish to spend. Keep in mind you will need enough funds in your brokerage account to buy the shares and cover the brokerage fees.

If you have purchased your shares when the market is open, the ASX is open Monday-Friday 10m-4pm (Sydney time), the shares should be able to automatically purchase the shares at market price. If you attempt to buy shares outside these times you will likely have to put in a limit order. This is where you can dictate the price you wish to buy at and what timeframe you wish for the shares to reach this point.

For example, you might find Friday night is the only time you’ve had free time to sit down and open your investment platform, and you have seen CBA is trading at $102. You can put a limit order of $99 that expires in 30 days. If at any point CBA falls to $99 within that period the shares will be bought on your behalf.

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7. Monitor your investment overtime

Depending on how long you intend to invest for you may want to monitor your investment regularly. However, if you have a long-term outlook and don’t intend to sell your shares for a number of years, you may want to block out all the noise and ignore the market movements until closer to when you would be looking to sell. Often, taking the emotions out of investing can help you avoid making costly mistakes.

How to sell CBA shares?

When it comes to selling shares, it is much the same as buying. Select the amount you wish to sell and if you sell during market time you will receive the market price. Outside of this time you can set a limit order and decide the price you wish to sell at.

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