How to buy Facebook (FB) stock from Canada

Nikita Sheth avatar
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Andrew Boyd avatar
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Updated 12 Oct 2023

With over 2.5 billion monthly users, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) is one of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley. The company continues to innovate with technology designed to make communications between friends and family easier.

Trading Facebook stock gives you plenty of opportunities to make money. If you've decided to invest in Facebook from Canada, this guide provides everything you need to know.

Read our complete guide to buying US stock.

About the company

Facebook overview

Founded in 2005 by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook has offices in Menlo Park, CA. The company launched its IPO in May 2012, with a listing price of US$38. The company's advertising model brings in significant revenue streams, with the company earning US$85.9 billion in revenues in 2020. Facebook has been acquisitive, spending billions on Whatsapp, Instagram, and Oculus VR — among others — to defend their dominant position in social media.

Unsure about what trading platform to use?

Where to buy Facebook stock

CIBC Investor's Edge

On website

CIBC Investor's Edge

Highlights

  • Trade Canadian and U.S. stocks online for a flat $6.95 per trade — with no account minimums.
  • Students benefit from a reduced $5.95 flat fee and no annual account fees.
  • Access both registered (RRSP, TFSA) and non-registered accounts in one place.
  • Research tools include analyst ratings, stock screeners, and market news powered by Thomson Reuters.

Pros

  • Backed by one of Canada’s Big Five banks, with integrated banking and investing through your CIBC account.
  • Easy-to-use platform suitable for long-term investors who want a simple, self-directed option.
  • Joint accounts, spousal RRSPs, and RESP accounts are available, giving flexibility for families.
  • Dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are supported with no extra charge.
  • CIBC Mobile Wealth app makes it easy to monitor your portfolio on the go.
  • No inactivity fees, which is rare among bank-owned brokerages.

Cons

  • No access to commission-free ETFs, which some other platforms now offer.
  • Trading platform lacks advanced charting and technical tools for active traders.
  • U.S. dollar accounts are not available for all account types, so currency conversion fees can add up.
Qtrade Direct Investing™

On website

Apply by October 31, 2025

Qtrade Direct Investing™

Highlights

  • Low trading fees with no hidden costs and consistently competitive pricing across Canadian markets.
  • Clean and intuitive platform with robust tools for stock screening, charting, and portfolio tracking.
  • Trade on the go with the new Qtrade app, featuring options trading, portfolio insights, alerts, and a sleeker design.
  • Options Lab simplifies complex strategies into step-by-step guided selections.
  • Stay informed with a personalized AI-powered newsfeed through Qtrade’s integration with PersonaFin.
  • Known for award-winning customer service that follows through when you need help.

Pros

  • Consistently low trading commissions make it a smart choice for long-term investors and active traders alike.
  • Well-designed desktop and mobile platforms offer both simplicity for beginners and depth for experienced investors.
  • The Options Lab tool demystifies options trading with tailored strategy recommendations.
  • Access to a wide selection of ETFs, stocks, mutual funds, and fixed income products in one place.
  • Strong research tools including screeners, watchlists, and analyst ratings help users make more confident decisions.
  • Responsive and knowledgeable client service, often ranked among the best in Canada.

Cons

  • $25 quarterly fee applies if you don’t maintain a minimum balance or meet trading activity — but this can be waived easily with regular use.
  • No commission-free ETF trading unlike some competitors.
  • While robust, the mobile app may still lack some advanced features.
Questrade

On website

Highlights

  • Trade stocks, ETFs, options, and more with low commissions starting at 1¢ per share (min. $4.95, max. $9.95).
  • No annual RRSP or TFSA account fees.
  • Wide range of account types, including registered, non-registered, corporate, and margin accounts.
  • Buy ETFs commission-free, which helps reduce costs for passive investors.
  • Robust research tools, market data packages, and customizable trading platforms.
  • Fund your account easily with Interac e-Transfer, bank transfer, or pre-authorized deposit.

Pros

  • One of the most cost-effective platforms in Canada for self-directed investors.
  • Buying ETFs for free makes it highly appealing for those following long-term, passive strategies.
  • Flexible platform options. From easy-to-use Questrade Trading to the more advanced Questrade Edge.
  • Offers both USD and CAD accounts, so you can avoid currency conversion fees when trading U.S. stocks.
  • Access to IPOs and international equities gives investors more diversification opportunities.
  • Educational resources and real-time market data packages help users trade with more confidence.
  • Registered with IIROC and CIPF, ensuring regulation and investor protection.

Cons

  • Charges apply when selling ETFs.
  • Currency conversion fees can still apply if you're not using a dual-currency setup.
  • Some of the more advanced data packages cost extra, which may be a consideration for budget-conscious users.

Compare online brokers on Finty. Research broker fees, commissions, tradable assets, markets, and commodities, etc.

First time buying?

How to buy Facebook stock

Step 1: Pick your trading platform

Before you decide to buy FB stock, you're going to need to decide on a broker and sign up for an account. Here is what to look for when selecting your brokerage.

Commission-free trades

Apps like Wealthsimple Trade and Uphold allow you to trade stock with no commissions on your trades. In response to these apps taking the lion's stock of the millennial market, top brokers like TD Ameritrade now offer commission-free trading as well. Zero commission is the new de facto standard.

Fractional stock trading

A single stock of Facebook stock is too expensive for small account holders with balances under US$500. Purchasing a single stock accounts for over half your account balance, and that's a risky position to trade. Fractional stocks let you take a percentage of a single Facebook stock, giving you exposure to price action without the additional risk.

Intuitive trading platform

Brokers offer you free trading platforms, and each of them has a slightly different layout and features. You might find you need a more advanced trading platform later in your career. Therefore, look for brokers that let you plug in trading platforms like DAS Trader into your account.

Low account fees

Brokers compete for your business, and they offer discounts on trading fees, inactivity fees, and account fees to capture your business. Compare the fee schedules of prospective brokers before settling on one.

Cash or margin trading

A broker may give you access to a cash or margin account when signing up. The difference between the two is that you can only trade the money in your account with a cash account. With a margin account, you can "borrow" money from the broker to take a bigger position in Facebook stock. Like any loan, this comes with some risks or costs so make sure you understand the terms before trading on margin. If the trade moves against you, you may need to deposit more funds on short notice.

Real-time data and charts

The charts included with many broker trading platforms don't display live market data. With quotes lagging by as much as 15 minutes, that's not good news for active day traders. If you're scalping or trading on short time frames, you'll need to subscribe to a service providing you with live market data.

Step 2: Fund your trading account

Brokers accept deposits using debit cards and bank wire transfers. Some brokers don't let you fund a trading account with a credit card.

It's also important that you settle on an amount for funding your account that you can afford to lose. If the trade turns against you and you have your life savings at stake, you risk losing everything. Manage risk wisely and only trade what you can afford to lose.

Step 3: Decide how much you want to invest

After funding your account, it's time to think about how much you want to invest in a single trade. According to professional traders, you should never risk more than 5% of your account balance in a single transaction so your account is not tied to any one company’s price movement.

Step 4: Shares of stock or ETFs

If you're investing in Facebook, you have the choice of doing so using stock or an ETF. An ETF is a vehicle containing stock from a number of companies, typically in a similar theme or industry. The Vanguard Communication Services ETF (VOX) and Global X Social Media Index ETF (SOCL) are great examples of ETFs with exposure to Facebook in their allocation.

Step 5: Set up your order

After choosing between stock or an ETF, it's time to place your order. These are some of the more common order types to manage your trade.

Market order

The market order lets traders get in at the next price quoted in the order book. However, market orders can be risky, as you might not fill at the price you were expecting. Instead, you could fill several dollars higher, disrupting your trading plan.

Limit order

The limit order is the choice of the professional day trader. It's a risk management tool preventing you from receiving slippage when placing your order. If you enter a limit order at US$100, the broker will only fill you at this price. However, if the markets are moving fast, you could end up with a partial or no fill.

Stop limit

This order lets you exit the trade when the price reaches your target. For instance, you enter at US$100, and your price target is US$130. When the price reaches this level, the broker executes your sell order.

Stop loss

This order helps you manage risk and avoid a catastrophic loss on your account. Let's say you invest at US$100. You only want to risk 5% of your account on the trade, so you'll set your stop loss at US$95. When the price dips to this level, the broker automatically liquidates your position, minimizing your loss to US$5 even if the stock continues to drop.

Step 6: Place the order

After selecting your order type, it's time to buy some stock. Open your broker trading platform, and enter the FB ticker symbol in the correct field. Next, input your limit order price and the number of stocks you want to trade, then submit the order.

After you buy

What moves Facebook's stock price

As a tech giant, Facebook stock experiences volatility when it releases data on new user growth and earnings. Regulatory issues, such as Zuckerberg testifying in front of Congress or privacy concerns from foreign regulators, may also generate volatility in the price of FB stock. You can compare Facebook's performance against Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Pinterest (NYSE: PINS), Twitter (NASDAQ: TWTR), and other tech and social media companies.

Disclaimer: We put our customer’s needs first. The views expressed in this article are those of the writer’s alone and do not constitute financial advice. Advertisers cannot influence editorial content. However, Finty and/or the writer may have a financial interest in the companies mentioned. Finty is committed to providing factual, honest, and accurate information that is compliant with governing laws and regulations. Do your own due diligence and seek professional advice before deciding to invest in one of the products mentioned. For more information, see Finty’s editorial guidelines and terms and conditions.

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