Hi there,
If you are just starting out, it is important for you to read up and get yourself familiarized with all the terminology we use here at Stocktrades. No stock individually stock should be bought blindly without first doing due diligence.
That being said, a perfect place to start is our Foundation Stocks. We believe this are best in class and will do well for years to come. As for how many stocks you should buy with $1,500? That is a personal decision. However, a couple of things to remember - the number of shares is irrelevant. Whether you buy one share at $1500 or 150 shares at $10 - it should not be a factor in your investment decision. A stock trading at $1,500 can double in price just as quickly as one that trades at $10.
Fundamentals and potential growth is what should dive your decision. There is a big difference between a $1500 stock with a strong track record that is expected to growth at 15% annually over the next five years, versus a $10 stock that has a spotty history and is only expected to eke out 2% growth over the next five years - share price is irrelevant.
The other thing you will want to take into account is fees. My philosophy is to keep fees below 1% - since my brokerage is with one of the big banks - my trades cost $8.99 per transaction. Given this, I don't make any trades less than $1,000 in value.
Using $1,500 as an example, that could mean dumping the entire $1,500 into one stock, and buying another position once $1,000 is built up again again. Or take $1,000 and invest it into one stock, then save another $500 and dump into another.
Bottom line, fees matter and splitting $1,500 into 10 different stocks can eat up your returns.
Mat