How to buy Lucid Motors (LCID) shares from Australia

Electric vehicles (EV) will play a significant role in building a sustainable future. Lucid Motors, an EV automaker, has shot into the spotlight with the launch of its luxury EV, Lucid Air.

Want a piece of the EV action? This guide will walk you through the process of trading in Lucid Motors (NASDAQ: LCID) shares.

Lucid Motors is an American EV manufacturer headquartered in Newark, California. In 2021, Lucid Motors (originally founded in 2007 under the name Atieva) merged with Churchill Capital Corp IV (CCIV), resulting in the formation of Lucid Group, which trades under its own LCID ticker on the NASDAQ stock exchange.

With the launch of its first EV, Lucid Motors has set itself up as a strong competitor to Tesla.

Buying Lucid Motors shares or other US-listed shares in Australia is quite straightforward. These basic steps will guide you in making your first investment.

Step 1: Choose a broker

To buy Lucid Motors shares online from Australia, you’ll need to find a broker that offers access to US markets. There are many platforms to choose from, but there are some key things to look for when comparing features.

• Ease of use. Some trading platforms can be pretty complicated to use, with plenty of products and options to choose from. An easy-to-use platform with a competitive fee structure is generally the way to go if you are a beginner.
• Brokerage fees. Brokerage fees refer to the charges collected by brokers from traders to facilitate trade. One key advantage of purchasing US shares is the opportunity for commission-free trading. Some online brokers don’t charge you fees for investing in US-listed equities, which can save you a decent amount of money.
• Access to market research. A platform that gives you access to solid market research and reporting tools can help you make informed investment decisions by giving you the latest information about Lucid Motors stocks (and other stocks as well). It’s advisable to check information like company overview and price history before purchasing stocks in a company. You can also find price forecasts and buy and sell recommendations on some trading platforms.
• Fractional share trading. It’s possible to buy a part of a share, instead of the full share, on some trading platforms. This is particularly useful when you are dealing in shares of leading US-listed companies, like Apple and Microsoft, which aren’t cheap.

Step 2: Funding your account

Once you have selected a broker and set up your trading account, it’s time to add money to it so you can make trades.

When transferring money to your trading account, keep in mind any minimum transaction amount that may apply. Note that it generally takes up to three days for the funds to clear and appear in your trading account, so you cannot purchase shares immediately.

Step 3: Decide on the amount you wish to invest

Any money you invest in equities is subject to market risk. So, it’s essential to consider how much money you are willing to invest in shares. It’s generally advisable to decide on an amount you can afford to lose, to avoid putting your nest egg at risk.

You don’t have to worry about the cost of full shares, as you can purchase fractional shares.

Step 4: Shares or ETFs?

Investors who wish to take a more cautious approach may consider investing in an exchange-traded fund (ETF), which is essentially a basket of stocks, allowing for a more diverse portfolio.

An ETF allows you to invest in a market as a whole, instead of buying shares in an individual company like Lucid Motors or Tesla. As ETFs track the performance of a market, they are likely to be less volatile, which reduces your risk to an extent. It’s unlikely, however, that ETFs will give you the kind of big gains you may expect from shares.

ETFs such as Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE), Amplify Lithium & Battery Technology ETF (BATT), Simplify Volt RoboCar Disruption and Tech ETF (VCAR), Defiance Next Gen SPAC Derived ETF (SPAK), and Global X Adaptive US Risk Management ETF (ONOF) all have exposure to Lucid Motors.

Step 5: Configure your order type

When buying shares, you can configure your order type to protect your position. Here are some of the popular order types available to execute your trade.

Market order

A market order is an order to buy or sell a stock at market price. A market order is generally executed immediately, but the price at which a market order will get executed is not guaranteed.

Limit order

A limit order is an order to buy a stock at a specified price. With a buy limit order, your trade only executes when the stock reaches your nominated price or lower.

Stop limit

A stop-limit order allows you to nominate a price at which to sell your shares. When that limit is reached, your sell order is executed. Suppose you want to sell your Lucid Motors shares at $30 and set a stop limit at that amount. Once the share price reaches $30, the stop limit executes.

Stop loss

A stop loss order can help you minimise your risk. A stop order is used to buy or sell a stock at the market price once it has traded at the stop price (which is the price nominated by you). If the stock reaches the stop price, the order becomes a market order and is executed at the next available market price.

Step 6: Execute your order

Once you have made all your choices, it’s time to place your order. Open your trading platform, type in the Lucid Motors share code (NASDAQ: LCID) and execute the order you want. This is usually as straightforward as clicking a button.

Investing in shares is not a completely passive activity. It’s advisable to monitor the performance of your stock by keeping track of company announcements and reports, competition in foreign and domestic markets (like Tesla and Rivian Automotive), and the overall performance of the industry to predict price movements.

Regularly check the news for Lucid Motors-related stories and general developments in the EV space that may help or harm your share price.