Online Stock Trading Courses - A Guide To What's Available (2024)

If you want to aim to grow your wealth and hopefully beat inflation along the way, you might decide to try your hand at investing.

This is when you buy, hold and sell assets such as shares, rather than simply leaving your money on deposit to earn interest. Over time, investing has the potential to achieve better returns than saving, although the possibility of making a loss is greater.

Investing is usually regarded as a long-term proposition, with the passage of years hopefully delivering an overall profitable return. But for those who don’t mind taking risks – and who can afford to do so – a more immediate way to invest is via stock trading.

This investment strategy sees investors buying and selling assets over the course of a single day, multiple days or a few weeks with the goal of profiting quicker from short-term price movements. That’s the goal, but of course there is the ever-present risk of making a loss just as speedily.

For new traders, knowing where to start can be tricky – fortunately, there are plenty of online resources you can use as a jumping off point. Here’s our look at what’s available.

Joining the retail investing community

It’s difficult to know exactly how many retail investors are in the UK. But if the topic has piqued your interest, you’re certainly not alone.

Major investment platforms count their users in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions. The investing app Trading 212 says it has two million users for instance, while Hargreaves Lansdown has 1.7 million.

The popularity of ‘DIY’ investing accelerated during the pandemic – when successive lockdowns, travel restrictions and furlough schemes left many with more time to dedicate to investing.

According to consultants Boring Money, ‘DIY’ investors opened 950,000 investment accounts in the 12 months that followed the first UK lockdown in Spring 2020.

With many individuals starting to invest, it’s no surprise that a huge range of stock trading course providers are looking to cash in.

What is stock trading?

Stock trading is an investment strategy that relies on short-term price swings to potentially make a profit.

Because of its reliance on short-term price changes, stock trading is inherently more risky than a buy-and-hold strategy that gives investors time to ride out the ebbs and flows of the market.

Stock trading strategies generally fall into one of two camps: day trading, or swing trading.

As the name implies, day trading involves buying and selling assets within the space of a single trading day.

With swing trading, assets may be held over multiple days, and for up to a few weeks.

Who could stock trading courses be suitable for?

Trading courses are aimed both at aspiring traders and at existing traders who want to hone their skills or learn more in a specific area.

It’s also worth noting that courses have different characteristics that will appeal to different audiences. For instance, a free, self-paced course is likely better suited to casual learners than a formal 12-month course with live instruction.

With so much free material available, a relatively expensive, formal course may not be the best fit for everyone. However, such courses may offer benefits that could entice would-be traders.

Opting for a formalised course can help you connect with other traders, while some providers will also teach you how to use trading software, adding a more practical element.

If you want support beyond pre-recorded videos and online articles, this could be well worth the investment.

Your course may also offer a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

What’s on the curriculum?

No two courses are identical, but a stock trading course aimed at beginners will typically cover:

• Principles of day trading, swing trading, and how they compare with longer-term investment strategies
• Different asset classes
• Technicalities of buying and selling assets
• Understanding market signals and macro-economic trends
• Researching companies to choose suitable investments
• Risk management.

Most online courses follow a set curriculum, without much flexibility to pick and choose your topics. Once you’ve covered the basics, however, there are plenty more online courses that hone in on specialisations.

Course prices

Stock trading courses run the gamut from completely free to thousands of pounds – it all depends on the experience and depth you’re after.

Courses that offer one-to-one guidance or live classes tend to be more expensive than classes with pre-set materials that leave students to learn at their own pace.

For instance, The Complete Foundation Stock Trading Course, available through online learning platform Udemy, is priced comparatively cheaply at £59.99 but involves no direct interaction with instructors.

As you’d expect, longer courses are pricier. For instance, the week-long Introduction to Financial Markets and Trading from the London Academy of Trading can be purchased from £599.

Meanwhile, the provider’s more thorough Advanced Trading Course – which lasts 12 weeks – will set you back at least £3,299.

Stock trading course providers

A wide range of organisations offer educational resources focused on trading and general investment topics – from free downloadable guides to more formal, multi-week courses.

Here’s a selection of what’s on offer.

Fully structured courses

1. Trading Skills Course – London Academy of Trading

The Trading Skills Course from London Academy of Trading can be taken online, in-person (London), or both.

It’s delivered via pre-recorded video lectures, written materials and live webinars, completed over the course of four weeks. Students can also access online help from a tutor.

The course aims to equip students with practical knowledge on how to trade assets online in real-time, and a broad understanding of how the stock market operates.

Bram Nunnikhoven, who took LAT’s Advanced Trading Course in 2020, says of the provider: “The tutors were really amicable and nice to work with. They made sure each individual was given enough time, and had a chance to ask detailed questions.”

As a professional trader, the most important take-away for Mr Nunnikhoven was the guidance the course offered about structuring his day.

That said, the experience did come with its challenges. He said: “Assignments are doable, but they do require a lot of time investment. The final assessment – a live trading project – was quite stressful.”

Sara Farah, who also completed the course, had no prior experience in trading when she joined.

She said: “As a complete beginner to investing, it has taught me the importance of discipline and structure when it comes to a trading strategy, as well as understanding the behaviour of the markets in regards to the macro and news events.”

She added: “The course was challenging in terms of the amount of curriculum taught within the timeframe.”

Prices for LAT’s Trading Skills Course start from £1,899.

London Academy of Trading also offers a course tailored to experienced traders, – the Advanced Trading Course – and shorter specialisation courses in areas such as cryptocurrency, options trading and trading psychology.

2. Pro-Trading Course – Trading College

This 12-month programme from the London-based Trading College can be completed entirely online, or part online, part in-person. It’s delivered through a combination of pre-recorded videos and online resources, as well as live webinars or in-person trading days.

It focuses on day and swing trading, covering topics such as trading US and European Stocks, Forex and commodities, understanding market trends and setting up stop-loss orders.

Students are also given access to proprietary trading software and an online community of other investors.

The course costs £220 per month (£2,640 total), but Trading College regularly schedules free webinars so would-be students can get a taste of the teaching on offer.

Trading College also offers one-on-one trading mentorship, tailored to each student.

3. Analyst Academy – Behind the Balance Sheet

Analyst Academy is a 12-month course taught by Steve Clapham, a former equities analyst.

It’s delivered through online resources that students study at their own pace, as well as regular live webinars and ‘homework’ exercises.

As the name suggests, this course skews towards company analysis – with the goal of identifying investment opportunities.

While the course is designed for relative beginners, Analyst Academy recommends new students get to grips with a few basic terms before diving in: understanding ‘growth’ versus ‘value’ investing, and the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation.)

The course is designed to be studied part-time for 12 months, and costs £129 per month (£1,548 in total).

Learn at your own pace

1. Intro to Stock Trading – EdX

This online course from the New York Institute of Finance is available through the online learning platform, EdX. It’s delivered through articles and video lectures by ex Wall Street traders Peter Tuchman and David Green.

It covers the basics of stock trading, including key terminology, setting trading goals, entering trades, setting up stop orders and the computer programs traders use.

The course is free to try, but students who want to maintain access to course materials for longer than a few weeks must pay £79.

2. The Complete Foundation Stock Trading Course – Udemy

This course is delivered by Mohsen Hassan – a former trader and programmer who founded the trading education company, Bloom.

It comprises 9.5 hours of pre-recorded lectures, and downloadable resources covering topics such as ins and outs of the stock market, managing risk, short selling and trading psychology.

According to the course description, it’s suitable for both complete beginners and those with an intermediate understanding of trading principles.

The course is available directly through Bloom, or through the online learning platform Udemy. It costs £59.99.

Bear in mind that Bloom is based in Canada, so while the principles discussed are universal, Canadian financial regulations differ from those in the UK.

3. Practical Guide To Trading – Coursera

Taught by market analysts at the trading platform, Interactive Brokers, this course is available through Coursera – an online education provider.

It covers the fundamentals of equities, forex trading, options and futures and US bonds.

Students also complete an ‘applied learning project’ to cap off the programme, working with a demo trading account to simulate the trading environment.

The program is delivered via pre-recorded video lectures, reading materials, online quizzes and peer assessments.

Enrolling in the course costs £39 per month, and takes around four months to complete if you study for four hours per week. At this pace, you’d pay £156 in total.

It’s worth noting that Interactive Brokers are based in the US, so while the content covered is universal, financial regulations will differ in the UK.

Free resources

1. eToro academy

The online trading platform, eToro, offers a range of educational materials covering a wide range of topics – from Forex trading to setting up stop-loss and take-profit orders.

These resources take the form of articles and videos users can engage with at their own pace.

eToro distinguishes between ‘essentials’ and ‘advanced’ topics, so both new and experienced traders can use the platform.

2. FCA InvestSmart

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – the UK financial watchdog – provides a range of educational articles under its InvestSmart banner.

Topics range from the basics of risk and return to investing in new asset classes such as crypto.

However, it’s worth noting these resources focus on investing basics more generally rather than trading per se.

3. Morningstar Investment Classroom

The investment research firm Morningstar offers a good number of free online resources that cover everything from researching investments to understanding specific asset classes.

Like the FCA’s InvestSmart, Morningstar focuses more on long-term investing than trading specifically.

Nonetheless, it could be a good jumping off point for aspiring traders, or a valuable resource for experienced traders who want to top up their knowledge in a specific area.

4. Hargreaves Lansdown Learn

The investment platform, Hargreaves Lansdown offers a number of educational guides that are free to download – in exchange for the reader’s email address – as well as online articles.

Guides cover topics such as picking stocks, and understanding investment jargon.

They tend to focus on building a long term investment portfolio as opposed to day or swing trading.

Alternatives to online courses

If you don’t like the idea of taking a course entirely online, you do have some other options.

A few of the providers mentioned above – Including Trading College and London Academy of Trading – also offer in-person classes.

For Mr Nunnikhoven, completing a course solely online had certain limitations. He commented: “My recommendation is, if you can, do it in person. It’s more motivating to be around people doing the same thing as you.”

He adds that while contacting tutors online was easy, face-to-face interactions would have reduced friction when it came to asking questions.

It’s worth noting that many of these classes are held in London, so you may need to travel if you want the face-to-face experience.

This could be a good option if you learn best through discussion with others – although the experience can, to a certain extent, be replicated in the virtual world through live webinars and community forums.

What to avoid

While there are plenty of good quality courses to choose from, not every course will fit your needs – and you may come across unscrupulous instructors offering ‘get rich quick’ schemes.

As a rule of thumb, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, so it’s always best to do your research. Looking at independent review sites such as Trust Pilot and speaking with current or former students is typically a good place to start.

If a course is accredited by a reputable body, this is also a good sign. Accreditation ensures the course meets a certain level of quality.