58% of Americans Own Stock, but Most Are Doing It Wrong. I'd Start With These 2 Names Instead.

Key Points Most people are invested in the stock market, but will only get index returns. MeracdoLibre is a promising growth opportunity in Latin America. Sprouts Farmers Market is a cheap grocery concept. 10 stocks we like better than MercadoLibre › 58% of Americans own stocks . This figure has been steadily rising over the past 100 years due to the proliferation of 401(k) s , personal retirement accounts, and free-trading brokerages accessible on mobile devices. Around 200 million people in the United States own stocks in some form. But I think most are doing it wrong. Many simply own broad-based index funds like the S&P 500 index, which is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) near all-time highs and can bore investors.