Personal Finance

How to buy Tesco (TSCO.LON) shares: UK guide

Emma-Jane Stogdon

30.10.24 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 6 minutes

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to future change. The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice.

Investments in a currency other than GBP are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in GBP terms. You could lose money in GBP even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

New to investing and interested in stock market trading? If you’re interested in buying shares in Tesco, we have all the info you need to get started.

Listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), Tesco is one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains.

Below, you’ll find our essential guide on how to buy shares in Tesco in the UK. So read on for info on online investment platforms, trading fees and the latest Tesco (TSCO.LON) share prices.

Can I buy Tesco shares in the UK?

Yes, you can buy shares in companies all over the world as a UK investor.

This includes Tesco PLC, as well as FTSE 100 companies and those included in overseas stock market indices like the US-based S&P 500.

Trading shares is actually pretty straightforward to do too. There are a couple of ways to do it. You can either use a broker service to manage trades for you, or you can do it yourself on an online investment platform.

Some of the most popular trading platforms for UK investors include:

How to buy Tesco shares

The easiest way to buy or sell shares in Tesco is to use an online investment platform.

Here’s how to sign up and start trading, in just a few steps:

1. Find an investment platform

The first thing to do is find an online investment platform which offers trading in UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Some options to check out include eToro, IG Trading, Trading 212, Hargreaves Lansdown and Interactive Brokers, among others.

When comparing platforms, you should check out the fees and charges carefully.

You’ll also want to look for a platform that is user-friendly and suitable for beginners, with features such as demo trading accounts. These let you ‘test out’ investments and get a feel for how stock market trading works before actually committing any funds.

2. Sign up for an account

Chosen a platform? The next step is to apply for an account, which you should be able to do online in just a few minutes.

You’ll be asked to provide personal details and verify your identity.

You should always check that the company is listed on the FCA register to ensure that they are a legitimate company before you sign up.

3. Add funds to your account

Before you can start buying shares, you’ll need to load up your account with funds. This means transferring money from your bank account over to your chosen investment platform. Simply follow the platform’s processes to do this.

4. Search the platform for Tesco stock

You can search using either the company name or its stock ticker symbol. For Tesco PLC, this is TSCO.LON.

You can check the latest Tesco share prices and start to place your order.

5. Choose the number of shares or the amount of investment

There are two ways you can place an order for shares.

The first is to choose the exact number of shares you want to buy (i.e. 50 shares).

Alternatively, you can enter the maximum amount you want to invest and the platform will automatically purchase shares up to that limit.

6. Confirm the order

Check the details of the order carefully and submit. If you confirm the order within market hours, your shares should be purchased immediately. Otherwise, your order will be processed on the next trading day.

How to invest in Tesco via a fund

Another option for investing in Tesco is via a fund. Options to look into include

global funds, investment trusts and exchange traded funds (ETFs).

These all offer ready-made portfolios, consisting of shares in multiple different companies. Tesco is a major company, so its stock should be included in at least some of these - but you’ll need to do some research to find out.

You can purchase funds in a similar way as buying shares, by signing up for an investor account on a trading platform.

Tesco (TSCO.LON) share price

The current Tesco PLC (TSCO.LON) share price at the publish date of this article (30th October 2024) is: £3.48 GBP.¹

It’s important to remember though that share prices fluctuate, and they can go up or down.

So the share price for Tesco listed above is accurate at the time of writing, but it’s likely to be different at the time you come to actually buy your shares.

The good news though is that you can check the latest Tesco share prices at any time using the handy Wise stock ticker tool.

Check latest TSCO.LON share price

Does Tesco stock pay out dividends?

Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders, based on annual overall profits. The aim is to reward shareholders for their investment.

Cash dividends are the most common, but it’s also possible for companies to pay out dividends to shareholders in the form of additional shares.

Tesco stock does currently pay dividends to shareholders. It usually pays a cash dividend more than once a year, and the most recent payment was 0.083 per share.²

What does it cost to buy and sell Tesco shares?

There will usually be some fees involved when you buy shares in the UK.

The most common are trading fees, which are charged every time you buy or sell shares.

Some platforms also have an annual account or platform fee, although there are some that are free to join.

An additional charge may apply if you buy stock in companies based overseas. This is the foreign exchange fee, charged for converting your GBP to USD, for example.

Take a look at the table below for an idea of what popular UK investment platforms charge for trading:

Platform	UK trade (commission) fees
eToro	£0³
IG Trading	£3⁴
Hargreaves Lansdown	£11.95⁵
Trading 212	£0⁶
Interactive Brokers	From 0.05% of trade value⁷

Note: All above investment platform fees were correct as of 30 October 2024.

Interested in investing in a fund instead of buying shares? The fees for buying a fund, trust or ETF will be different to the above, so you’ll need to check the individual platform for details of these.

Avoid hidden currency conversion mark-ups

After reading this, you should have all the key info you need on how to buy Tesco shares as a UK investor. We’ve covered it all, from the steps to sign up to an investment platform to the fees for trading. And of course, the latest Tesco share prices and details of recent dividend payments.

But if you decide you want to start buying stocks in companies outside of the UK, there’s another key thing to consider - currency conversion. Trade in different currencies and you could be hit with extra costs for cross-border money transfer.

Luckily, there is a solution available. Open a Wise account and you can convert currency at mid-market exchange rates, for low, transparent fees*. This allows you to fund your investment account in the currency you’ll be trading in.

You can also use your Wise account to conveniently manage your money in up to 40+ currencies, sending payments worldwide at the mid-market rate for low fees*.

There’s even an extra feature, Wise Interest. This lets you earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR by opening a Wise account and investing in a fund that holds government-guaranteed assets. Capital at risk.

Capital at risk. Growth not guaranteed. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you’re uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

Open your Wise account

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to future change. The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice.

Sources used:

1. Wise - current Tesco PLC stock price (Tesco.LON)
2. Fidelity - Tesco PLC (TSCO)
3. eToro - eToro fees and charges
4. IG - IG charges and fees
5. Hargreaves Lansdown - Hargreaves Lansdown charges and interest rates
6. Trading 212 - Trading 212 fees and charges
7. Interactive Brokers - Interactive Brokers fees and charges

Sources last checked on date: 02-Oct-2024

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.