Ordinary Shares are the most common type of Shares traded on the JSE’s Equity Market. Ordinary Shares give you full voting rights at annual general meetings, dividends (should the company pay these) and a share of the residual economic value should the company unwind (after bondholders and preference shareholders are paid). They also allow you to benefit from capital growth should the company do well.

Who should use this

Professional and private investors invest in Ordinary Shares to stand the chance of gaining inflation-beating returns on their investment. Investors can use a stockbroker to select shares on their behalf or make their own share choices and purchases through an online share trading account. This stock picking by private investors is suited to investors who have the time and skills to assess the financial performance of companies and have a good understanding of how a stock market works. Less experienced investors can gain exposure to a basket of shares through an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Features

  • Ordinary shareholders have the right to vote at annual general meetings.
  • Ordinary shareholders have the ability to elect the board of directors of a company.
  • Ordinary shareholders’ dividends can be higher than Preference shareholders’ dividends, as dividends for Ordinary Shares are not fixed.
  • N-Ordinary Shares offer all the benefits of Share investing, including the potential for both capital and income growth.
  • Like all Share investing, investing in Ordinary Shares carries risk, including the risk of losing your initial investment and the risk of receiving a lower-than-expected return.
  • These Shares do not have preferential rights, unlike Preference Shares.
  • Share prices can rise and fall and investors must accept the fact that the value of their Shares may fluctuate during the year.

How to get Ordinary Shares

Open a brokerage account with a JSE Equity Market member.