Shares beginners actually recognise

The easiest place to start understanding shares is with companies you already know: the shop you visit, the bank you use, the phone in your pocket. When you understand what a business actually does, its numbers stop being abstract.

Familiarity is a learning aid, not a verdict on the shares - a company you love can still be an expensive or risky holding. Each name below links to a full explainer that walks through what the business is, what the figures mean, and the honest ups and downs.