How to buy WhatsApp stocks (2024): invest in WhatsApp
With over 2 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp is a potentially attractive investment! In this article, I discuss in detail how to buy WhatsApp stocks.
How to buy WhatsApp stocks?
Step 1: sign up with a broker
You cannot buy WhatsApp shares directly, as WhatsApp stocks are not listed on the stock exchange. Whatsapp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion. If you want to invest in WhatsApp’s success, you can therefore Buy Meta (Facebook) shares.
To buy Meta shares, you will need an account with a reliable stockbroker. In the overview below, you can immediately see which stockbrokers you can sign up with to invest in WhatsApp:
| Brokers | Benefits | Register |
|---|---|---|
 | Buy WhatsApp without commissions. Your capital is at risk. Other fees may apply. | |
 | Speculate with CFD's on increasing & decreasing prices of WhatsApp! 82% of retail CFD accounts lose money. | |
 | Benefit from low fees, an innovative platform & high security! | |
 | Speculate on price increases and decreases of WhatsApp with a free demo! |
Step 2: verify your account
Before you can buy Whatsapp shares, you must first verify your broker account. You verify your account by uploading the following documents:
- Copy of your passport
- Proof of your address
After your account is approved, you can deposit money from your bank account.
Step 3: Buying Whatsapp stocks
Now select WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, to invest in WhatsApp. Within the order screen, you then enter the amount you want to invest. Alternatively, you can use a limit order: you then set the price at which you would like to buy the shares. Press the buy button to send the order to the stock exchange.
What are WhatsApp’s strengths?
You are probably wondering why WhatsApp could be a smart investment. One good reason is the high number of active monthly users: 2 billion (!). These users can be leveraged for marketing purposes.
In the past, WhatsApp charged its users $1 yearly. These days, the company mainly makes money by offering special subscriptions for businesses, and they probably also earn a lot with the data they collect form their users.
The application itself is popular for its strong security: end-to-end encryption prevents third parties from reading your messages. Moreover, the application offers several useful features such as voice & and video calls.
What are the risks of investing in WhatsApp?
The revenue model behind WhatsApp can be challenging: as there are few advertising options. On a social network like Facebook, you can display ads directly, but this is trickier with a messaging service.
Another risk for WhatsApp are problems with governments. In the past, WhatsApp has had issues with governments over privacy and the spread of misinformation.
Competition is ultimately the biggest risk of investing in WhatsApp. Similar applications like Telegram and WeChat can steal users from WhatsApp. Ultimately, there is only room for a limited number of messaging services.
The story behind WhatsApp
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by former Yahoo employees Brian Acton and Jan Koum. At the time, the platform was an alternative to text messaging and allowed people to send (international) messages at no extra cost.
In 2014, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, making it one of the largest technology acquisitions in history.
Alternative investments
You cannot invest in WhatsApp stocks directly, but you can try one of the following shares:
- Skype: Skype is also used for sending messages and making video calls.
- Google (Alphabet): another tech giant you can invest in. An investment in Google could be an interesting alternative.
- Tencent: you can invest in this Chinese company which owns WeChat. WeChat is China’s largest messaging application.
- Slack: this communication method is widely used by small and large enterprises and is still growing fast.
Should you invest in WhatsApp or not?
You can only invest in WhatsApp by buying Meta stocks. It is therefore important to closely examine how the rest of Meta’s businesses are performing. In this article, you can read my more extensive analysis on Meta shares. Always ask yourself if the shares fit well within your investment portfolio to avoid losing your funds.
