When investing in stocks & shares directly you must always Do Your Own Research. Consider factors such as the national and global economy, as well as the impact they will have on potential growth. For example during a health crisis where people are unable to travel, healthcare and pharmaceuticals are going to thrive, but the leisure and entertainment industry will likely decline.

How do the financials look? What is their revenue and market share against competitors? Review their earnings reports and see if they have free cash flow, or are in considerable debt. Compare details of different stocks at https://www.barchart.com/my/compare-stocks

Do they have an exclusive competitive advantage and strong mindshare, making it the first (or at least top 3) name you think of for a particular product? If so there will likely be a loyal following that will continue to support the brand as it grows. This will provide strong pricing power so people will continue to buy as prices increase over time. They could achieve this through low production costs and value for money, a high quality of service as well as an undesirable cost to switch to a competitor.

Does it pay dividends? These are the distribution of profits to shareholders, and you can find the ones with the highest yield at https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/high-dividend/top-100-high-dividend-yield-stocks

How is the stock performing? Heat maps offer a quick glance at what is going up or down in value:
UK FTSE 100 - https://www.hl.co.uk/shares/stock-market-summary/ftse-100/heat-map
US NASDAQ 100 - https://www.tradingview.com/heatmap/stock/

Stock screeners are also useful, in determining whether the sentiment on a stock is to buy or sell. Compare this and various other technicals at https://www.tradingview.com/screener/

For more insight into investing in stocks and shares follow the Instagram accounts below:
@earnyourleisure
@themasterinvestor
@wall_street_trapper

I hope you've found this information useful. Please send in any questions or feedback using the email button at the bottom of the page.