GTA 5
GTA 5 stock market guide: how to make billions with Lester's missions
Lester's assassination missions move the stock market, and that's the best way to get rich in Grand Theft Auto V (GTA 5). The trick is to wait, buy with all three characters, and sell when the price stops climbing.
The golden rule
Only the Hotel Assassination is forced during the story. Save the other four until after The Big Score, when you'll have tens of millions to invest instead of thousands.
Each character has their own bank balance and portfolio. If you skip one, you lose about a third of your possible profit.
What to buy, mission by mission
| Mission | Buy before | Buy after |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Assassination | Betta Pharmaceuticals (BET) | Bilkington (BIL) |
| Multi Target Assassination | Debonaire (DEB) | Redwood |
| Vice Assassination | Fruit (FRT) | Facade (FAC) |
| Bus Assassination | Nothing | Vapid (VAP) |
| Construction Assassination | GoldCoast (GCD) | Nothing |
Don't trade anything right before the Bus Assassination. Guides agree that buying nothing first is part of the plan.
How to do it
- Before the mission, invest as much as you're happy to risk with Michael, Franklin and Trevor.
- Do the mission.
- Sell the first stock when its price stops rising.
- Buy the second stock while it's low.
- Sleep at a safehouse to pass time, and check the price again.
- Sell when it stops climbing. Move on to the next mission.
When should I sell?
Guides quote different percentages, because the real peak varies. Treat any number as a rough guide, and watch the price instead. Saving before each sale gives you a way back if you sell too soon.
Which site is which?
- BAWSAQ was tied to other players online, and it's less predictable.
- LCN is driven by events in your own game.
A worked example
Say Michael has $10 million and buys Debonaire before the Multi Target Assassination. If it climbs 50%, he's got $15 million. If he then puts all of that into Redwood while it's low and it doubles, he's got $30 million. Do that with all three characters, then repeat it across the remaining missions, and you can see how players reach the billions. These numbers are only an illustration, and your results will vary.
Mistakes to avoid
- Doing the missions early. You won't have enough money to make it count.
- Only using one character. Each one invests separately.
- Selling too soon. Stock can take a while to move. Sleep to pass the time.
- Forgetting about weekends. Markets don't move at the weekend in-game.
- Not saving. Always make a fresh save before each big trade.
What should you spend it on?
Once you've made your fortune, property is the obvious choice, and buying five money-making properties counts towards 100%. Beyond that, enjoy it. You've got the run of the city.