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George Sweeney, DipFAUpdated
Designing military aircraft, naval vessels, and advanced cyber-defence electronics, FTSE 100 giant BAE Systems (BA) is Britain's largest defence contractor and a key global security partner.
If you're evaluating UK aerospace and defence stocks and want to understand how to buy BAE Systems shares, you just need a few minutes and a decent trading app. Here's everything you need to know about how to buy BAE Systems stock.
The whole process can take as little as 15 minutes. You'll need a smartphone or computer, an internet connection, your passport or driving licence and a means of payment.
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May 7, 2026: BAE Systems issued a trading update ahead of its AGM, reporting a record order backlog of £75b and new contract wins including a c.£2.5b Turkish Eurofighter Typhoon support deal and c.£1.1b of MBDA orders.
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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.
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Dividend yield: 1.96% of stock value
Forward annual dividend yield: 1.96% of stock value
Dividend payout ratio: 52.01% of net profits
BAE Systems has recently paid out dividends equivalent to 1.96% of its share value annually.
BAE Systems has paid out, on average, around 52.01% of recent net profits as dividends. That has enabled analysts to estimate a "forward annual dividend yield" of 1.96% 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 1.96% return on their shares, in the form of dividend payments. In BAE Systems's case, that would currently equate to about 37.8 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.
BAE Systems's dividend yield is perhaps best considered in relation to those of similar companies.
It's as easy to sell BAE Systems as it is to buy! Here's how to sell BAE Systems shares that you already own.
Most dealing providers 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.
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.
No. That's for US stocks.
George is a deputy editor at Finder. He has previously written for The Motley Fool UK, Nasdaq, Freetrade, Investing in the Web, MoneyMagpie, Online Mortgage Advisor, Wealth, and Compare Forex Brokers. He's focused on making personal finance and investing engaging for everyone. To do this he draws from previous work and his Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA), sharing what he’s learnt. When he’s not geeking out about money, you’ll find him playing sports and staying active. See full bio
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