What Does It Mean to Be Long a Stock?

If you're new to investing or trading, one of the first terms you'll hear is “long.”
But what does that actually mean?

In simple terms, being long a stock means you’ve bought shares, and you’re hoping the price goes up so you can sell for a profit.

Let’s say you buy 10 shares of Apple at $180. If the stock goes to $200 and you sell, you’ve made $200. That’s a classic long position.

A few things to remember:

• Long doesn't mean “long-term.” You can be long for 5 minutes or 5 years.
  
• If the stock drops, you can lose money — up to the full amount you invested.
  
• If the stock rises, your gains can be unlimited.
  

This simple concept is the foundation of all investing. And if you want to move into options trading later on, you must understand what it means to be long — because many option strategies are built around this basic idea.

This video lesson (in Yiddish) is part of a full beginner series where I teach the market from the ground up — clearly, calmly, and without hype.