Apple! When I hear this name, the iconic figure of Steve Jobs unveiling some product like the iPod, iPhone or iPad, flashes across my mind. The technological innovations of Apple have become a benchmark for other companies. It is this constant and unrelenting ability to innovate, which makes the Apple stock fundamentally sound in the entire S&P 500. This article will provide you all the information on how to buy Apple stock, to help you become a part of its success story. Should I Buy Stock in Apple? As I said above, Apple stock exemplifies the definition of sound stock in the stock market. Of course, the stock market is volatile and a rumor-based market. But, it is in this respect, Apple scores over most of the other stocks. Also, Apple is one stock to have in ones portfolio, simply because if you see the value of the Apple stock over the last five years, the graph is ever rising. From under $100 in 2006, the stock now trades around the $350 mark as of today. So, my answer to the question posed will be a resounding yes, if you are looking for a long-term investment. From a short term perspective, however, you will need to take into account various factors, like its initial and core position, and the support level the stock trades on. With this background, let us see in detail the process to buy the Apple stock. How to Buy Apple Shares? Online trading has made stock buying and selling, a child's play. Means, at the click of a mouse, you can trade thousands of dollars. Online brokerages like Scottrade, Etrade, TD Ameritrade and Schwab are the way to go for investments. These brokerages charge minimal payment per trade, and they are, most importantly, secure. Go through the following steps to know how to buy stock in Apple.

1. Open a free account in any of the online brokerages, which can help you to manage you portfolio, by completing the required registration procedure.
2. You will need to attach a bank account to this brokerage account, so as to transfer money. All your bank information will, no doubt, be safe. The transfer may take one to two days, depending upon the verification time taken by the brokerage.
3. After logging into your brokerage account, type the ticker code "AAPL" for Apple stock in the ticker search. Then the real-time trading price of Apple stock can be seen.
4. Now comes the vital part. Click the buy button, which will take you to a new page, where you will be asked to mention the number of stocks you wish to buy or the amount of money you would like to invest. After filling in the appropriate numbers, you can submit the information.
5. Your offer will be sent and you will be notified within moments whether your trade is accepted or not. The major reason for non-acceptance of your trade might be shortage of funds in your account to buy the mentioned amount of shares. But, if you have check your bank account for availability of funds, and then proceeded, there will be no major hiccup and you will own the Apple shares through this simple process.

How Much Stock to Buy in Apple It is entirely up to you to decide how many stocks you want to buy. If you are a beginner, learning to buy stocks, you should start slow and watch out for the price fluctuations over a period of two to three weeks, and study the growth pattern of the stock. You should take advice from stock brokerage firms or independent financial advisers on how to invest in Apple stocks. You should be careful about the levels at which you buy the shares. As of now, Apple share price is hovering around $350. According to many financial advisers, the support level of the Apple stock is $300, at which it is safe to invest in this stock. You have to make sure that you don't buy any stock, which has gone considerably high over the last few months, as it can be risky. Many advisers also stress on the P/E ratio (Price to Earnings ratio). However, these all are predictions, which may or may not come true. So you have to be a smart investor taking smart decisions in terms of the timing of investment. These tips on how to buy stock in Apple can help you to go ahead with your investment plans. But the most important thing is that you should keep a tab on the latest developments in the Apple business world, and then buy the stocks at the most opportune time, to maximize profit. DISCLAIMER: This article is just for reference purposes and does not recommend any particular stock market transaction. Seek proper financial advice before proceeding to buy any stock.