How to buy Avacta Group (AVCT) shares

Avacta Life Sciences (LON: AVCT) consists of two divisions focussing on cancer therapeutics and diagnostics.

The therapeutics division is focused on developing cancer immunotherapies, combining Affimer biotherapeutics and pre|CISIONTM tumour-targeted chemotherapy to create a pipeline of novel cancer therapies. Avacta’s diagnostics division uses its Affimer platform to develop high-performing diagnostics.

Read on for our step-by-step guide to buying shares in Avacta Life Sciences.

Step 1: Choose a broker

This biotech company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. If you want to buy their shares, you'll need a broker with access to this exchange.

When comparing options, check what commission and foreign exchange fee the broker charges and features like market access, tradable instruments, whether they have fractional share investment, etc.

If you are unsure who to use, check for a demo account so you can practice trading without commitments.

Step 2: Fund your account

You’ll need to have cleared funds in your account before you can buy shares.

You can deposit funds into your account with a bank transfer or with your debit card. Some brokers will take credit cards or PayPal as well.

Note that It can take some time for funds to clear into your account depending on the method used. Funds deposited from a Faster Payments bank transfer or debit card are usually available to use within minutes.

Step 3: Decide how much to invest

Share prices can go up and down, so it's better not to spend any more than you can afford to lose without getting into financial difficulty.

Resist the fear of missing out on an opportunity. You can invest later when you have the funds to do so.

Step 4: Buy shares or ETF?

ETFs are diversified investments that give you exposure to several companies. An ETF can be themed, meaning that it invests in companies with something in common, e.g. being listed on the same stock market or operating in a specific industry.

Although an ETF does not remove the risk of investing altogether, its diversified holdings mean they tend to be less volatile and are generally regarded as a less risky investment compared to investing in a single company. That being said, ETFs are still affected by overall market conditions.

Step 5: Configure your order

Market orders are available at every broker and are the most basic way to buy shares. With a market order, your broker will buy shares in Avacta Group at the next available market price.

If you have a target price in mind, most brokers will let you configure an order to automatically buy or sell once the price target has been hit. These trigger orders can be used in a number of scenarios, for example, to sell out of a position in a falling market or to sell when the price reaches a certain level and take profit.

Alternatively, you may be able to set up a recurring order to purchase shares periodically. This gives you a way to reduce price volatility.

Step 6: Place your order

Once you have configured your order, submit it to buy your shares.

Reading Avacta-related news stories will help you to gain a better understanding of how the company is performing. Announcements of new therapeutic approaches or successful trials can move their share price.

It is also a good idea to take an interest in what is going on in the fields of cancer therapies and diagnostics. Track Avacta for comparison with competitors including Conversant (NASDAQ: CNVR) and Autolus Therapeutics PLC (NASDAQ: AUTL).