How to buy BAE Systems shares

BAE Systems plc (BA) is a publicly traded aerospace and defence business based in the UK. It opened the day at 972.8p after a previous close of 975p. During the day the price has varied from a low of 964.2p to a high of 979.4p. The latest price was 973p (25 minute delay). BAE Systems is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and employs 93,100 staff. All prices are listed in pence sterling.

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Fees for buying 50x BAE Systems shares with popular platforms

Share prices fluctuate in real time, so the costs presented here should be considered as a guide only. They do not incorporate stamp duty. Always refer to the platform itself for availability and pricing – which may differ from our information.

Platform	Customer rating	Platform fee	Min. initial deposit	Trading fee estimate
	★★★★★	£0	£1	£0.00 £486.50 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	★★★★★	£0	$50	£0.00 £486.50 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	★★★★★	£0	£250	£8.00 £494.50 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	Not yet rated	£0	No minimum	£0.00 £486.50 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	★★★★★	£0	No minimum	£0.00 £486.50 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	★★★★★	£0	£1	£11.95 £498.45 total	Go to site Capital at risk
	★★★★★	£0	£0.01	£1.82 £488.32 total	Go to site Capital at risk

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Alternative ways to invest in BAE Systems

• Invest in BAE Systems via a fund

  Buying shares in just one company can leave you more exposed to unexpected swings in the market than if you have a range of investments - a "diversified portfolio". Experts generally recommend having a broad mix of assets and funds that hold a ready-made portfolio of at least 50 different companies' shares, on the basis that drops in the value of some will be offset by rises elsewhere.

  BAE Systems is a major part of the LSE index, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts, as well as tracker-style exchange traded funds (ETFs).

• Invest in BAE Systems via S&P 500

  Logo	Fund (Ticker)	5 year growth	1 year growth	Link to invest
  	Invesco S&P 500 (SPXP)	80.53%	1.75%	Invest with Fineco Capital at risk
  	Xtrackers S&P 500 Swap (XSPX)	80.40%	1.76%	Invest with IG Capital at risk
  	iShares Core S&P 500 (CSP1)	78.08%	1.48%	Invest with IG Capital at risk
  	HSBC S&P 500 (HSPX)	66.61%	0.24%	Invest with Saxo Capital at risk
  	Vanguard S&P 500 (VUSA)	65.33%	0.13%	Invest with IG Capital at risk
  	SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)	44.58%	-6.06%	Invest with eToro Capital at risk

Is it a good time to buy BAE Systems stock?

Only you can make the decision on the time to leap. The gauge below shows real-time ratings that are based on 26 popular indicators such as moving averages, for specific time periods. It's not a recommendation but is simply technical analysis that can form part of your research.

Finder might not agree with the analysis and we take no responsibility. We also give no representations or warranty on the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this page.

• See the technical analysis gauge

• See BAE Systems share price (LSE:BA.)

  Use our graph to track the performance of BA. stocks over time.

  Share price volatility

  Over the last 12 months, BAE Systems's shares have ranged in value from as little as 675.5294p up to 978.4p. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

  Beta is a measure of a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (LSE average) beta is 1, while BAE Systems's is 0.5458. This would suggest that BAE Systems's shares are less volatile than average (for this exchange).

  To put BAE Systems's beta into context you can compare it against those of similar companies.

  • Airbus Group (EADSY.US): 1.6739
  • General Dynamics Corporation (GD.US): 0.8341
  • The Boeing Company (BA.US): 1.4356

• What's BAE Systems price performance over time?

  Historical closes compared with the last close of 973p

  1 week (2023-03-17)	7.44%
  1 month (2023-02-24)	6.01%
  3 months (2022-12-23)	13.80%
  6 months (2022-09-23)	22.27%
  1 year (2022-03-25)	28.87%
  2 years (2021-03-25)	97.44%
  3 years (2020-03-25)	85.83%
  5 years (2018-03-23)	71.91%

Invest in BAE Systems shares

• Start investing from $50
• Pay no stamp duty on UK shares
• Commission-free trading. Other fees may apply.

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Capital at risk

Is BAE Systems under- or over-valued?

Valuing a stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge value. Check out the BAE Systems P/E ratio, PEG ratio and EBITDA

• P/E ratio
• BAE Systems PEG ratio
• BAE Systems EBITDA

What's BAE Systems's ESG track record?

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like BAE Systems.

Overall BAE Systems ESG score

BAE Systems's total ESG risk: 34.72

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and BAE Systems's overall score of 34.72 (as at 01/01/2019) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 71st percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like BAE Systems is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

To gain some more context, you can compare BAE Systems's total ESG risk score against those of similar companies.

• General Dynamics Corporation (GD.US): 35.89
• The Boeing Company (BA.US): 41.15

• Environmental
• Social
• Governance
• Controversy

Frequently asked questions

• Does BAE Systems pay dividends?

  • Dividend yield
  • Forward yield
  • Payout ratio

  Dividend yield: 2.9% of stock value

  Forward annual dividend yield: 2.9% of stock value

  Dividend payout ratio: 84.4% of net profits

  BAE Systems has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 2.90% of its share value annually.

  BAE Systems has paid out, on average, around 84.4% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 2.9% of the current stock value. This means that over a year, based on recent payouts (which are sadly no guarantee of future payouts), shareholders could enjoy a 2.9% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In BAE Systems's case, that would currently equate to about 27p per share.

  BAE Systems's payout ratio would broadly be considered high, and as such this stock could appeal to those looking to generate an income. Bear in mind however that companies should normally also look to re-invest a decent amount of net profits to ensure future growth.

  The latest dividend was paid out to all shareholders who bought their shares by 20 April 2023 (the "ex-dividend date").

  BAE Systems's dividend yield is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.

  • Airbus Group (EADSY.US): 1.50% (1.5% forward annual dividend yield)
  • General Dynamics Corporation (GD.US): 2.42% (2.42% forward annual dividend yield)
  • The Boeing Company (BA.US): 0.00% (does not pay dividend)

  Currently 0.352% of BAE Systems shares are held by insiders and 78.969% by institutions.

• How many people work for BAE Systems?

  Latest data suggests 93,100 work at BAE Systems.

• When does the fiscal year end for BAE Systems?

  BAE Systems's fiscal year ends in December.

• Where is BAE Systems based?

  BAE Systems's address is: Warwick House, Farnborough, United Kingdom, GU14 6YU

• What is BAE Systems's ISIN number?

  BAE Systems's international securities identification number is: GB0002634946

• How to sell BAE Systems shares

  It's as easy to sell BAE Systems as it is to buy! Here's how to sell BAE Systems that you already own.

  1. Open your investment app. If you've got one with desktop access, you can log in online
  2. Go to your portfolio. This should be in the main menu
  3. Find your shares. You may be able to search your portfolio
  4. Choose how many you'd like to sell. You'll be able to review the price and see how much you'll receive
  5. Sell your BAE Systems shares. Your investment platform will let you know when your shares are sold

• Can you buy BAE Systems shares with a debit card?

  Most share dealing providers in the UK will let you use your debit card to top up your account and buy shares. The main ways are with a debit card, bank transfer or with Apple/Google Pay.

• What's the easiest way to buy BAE Systems shares?

  The easiest way to get hold of some BAE Systems shares is to sign up for a share trading app and place a market order or basic order. This type of order tells the platform that you're interested, so it'll try to execute it as quickly as it can. It could take some time for the order to go through, especially if there's a lot of volatility in BAE Systems shares.

• Do you need to complete a W8-BEN form if you want to invest in BAE Systems

  If you're investing in a US stock, you'll need to complete a W8-BEN form to minimise your tax liability. Whether these are automatically handled for you depends on your broker, so it would be a good idea to check with them directly.

• What is the key financial information for BAE Systems?

  Financials

  Revenue TTM	£21.3 billion
  Operating margin TTM	10.19%
  Gross profit TTM	£2 billion
  Return on assets TTM	4.62%
  Return on equity TTM	17.56%
  Profit margin	7.48%
  Book value	3.626p
  Market capitalisation	£29.9 billion

  TTM: trailing 12 months