Grand Theft Auto 5 introduces a unique system for players to manipulate and abuse to get money. For those interested in the stock market, Grand Theft Auto 5 has its version, complete with many different companies for players to invest their hard-earned and stolen cash into. By playing the stock market properly, players will find an efficient way to get money fast in Grand Theft Auto 5.

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There are plenty of different stock options in Grand Theft Auto 5, and some players may be a tad confused on which stocks to invest in, and when. The stock market, much like real life, can be a tad unpredictable in Grand Theft Auto 5, but these options and choices are a surefire way to get money.

It’s worth noting that the most efficient way to play the stock market in Grand Theft Auto 5 to make money quickly is to rely on Lester’s Assassination Missions. This will be a detailed list of how to manipulate the stock market thanks to these Assassination Missions in Grand Theft Auto 5, and the most important stocks to invest in at the right time for the maximum profit.

Updated on February 28, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Players can unlock some unique abilities and ways to manipulate the stock market in GTA 5 thanks to Lester's assassination missions. The best stocks to buy in GTA 5 depend completely on the mission that players are on, so it's best to hoard as much cash as possible, and get ready to invest because Franklin and Lester are about to be busy. Players can earn billions of dollars with this method, attached to how the stock market works, what stocks to invest in from where and at what time, as well as how exactly players can get rich fast in GTA 5. Whilst murder is bound to this strategy, it will certainly be worth it for Franklin, Michael, and Trevor, who will play the BAWSAQ and LCN Exchange like a fiddle.

How To Use The Stock Market

BAWSAQ & LCN Exchange

Players will need to access the internet on GTA 5. Whether that's through their in-game phone or a laptop, they need to open up the Internet icon and then click the Money and Services tab. From here, they have two options: BAWSAQ and the LCN Exchange.

Home: This page will show what companies are doing the best, and which are doing the worst in real-time.

Markets: This page shows players what companies they can invest in on each of the websites. It is also important to note that players can see the Current Price, Price Movement, and % Change for each of these companies, allowing them to invest their money wisely.

My Portfolio: This is the page that players will use once they purchase stocks, as it will show the companies players have stock in, whilst also showing the Current Price, Return Price, and Profit of said stock.

Clicking on any stock, players will be able to buy stock and see the weekly statistics in a graph format for this stock. Players will be able to see the value of the stock and its highest and lowest information points which will help influence players' purchases.

Before every Lester's Assassination mission, players will need to switch to each of the three protagonists: Trevor, Michael, and Franklin, and invest in the stocks listed below.

How To Fix BAWSAQ Down For Maintenance

The BAWSAQ Exchange on Grand Theft Auto 5 is linked to an internet connection. In order to access BAWSAQ, players must make sure that they are connected to the Rockstar Games Social Club. To do so, players simply need to connect the account that they are playing to the Social Club. After doing so, players should have full access to the BAWSAQ exchange without further delays. In offline mode, or without connecting the account to the Rockstar Social Club, players will see the message "This market is down for maintenance. Please try again later." when attempting to access BAWSAQ.

How Do The Stock Markets Work?

The Dual Markets of LCN & BAWSAQ

LCN - the stock market for LCN stocks will peak within 24 in-game hours, giving players one in-game day after Lester's assassination mission to see the height of potential returns before those returns begin to decline.

BAWSAQ - Immediately after Lester's Assassination mission, the stock invited into BAWSAQ's markets will decline after 24 in-game hours, meaning this is the market players should look to first once the mission is over.

How To Skip Time

Go To Bed In-Game To Advance Days

In order to correctly manipulate the stock market, players are going to want to skip time in-game. Instead of waiting around for a few in-game days and hours in real life, players can instead head to their homes and enter their beds. This enters the Save Game screen, but players can either save here or leave the bed to skip forward in time, where each of the three characters would have slept. Players can go to bed with every character to advance time in the game, but each character sleeps for a different amount of time, meaning that in order to advance days, players must sleep multiple times.

• Michael: Sleeps for 6 Hours (4 times for 1 day skip)
• Franklin: Sleeps for 8 Hours (3 times for 1 day skip)
• Trevor: Sleeps for 12 Hours (2 times for 1 day skip)

Maximum Cash Amount

Players can only hold a maximum of $2,147,483,647 per character. Exceeding this number will mean that players cannot cash in their stock, so it's best to not go over this number if players want to earn the most amount of money possible in GTA 5 using the stock market.

The Hotel Assassination

Potential Return Of 200%

The first Assassination Mission that Franklin can complete in Grand Theft Auto 5 requires him to kill the CEO of Bilkinton Research, Brett Lowrey. Players will travel to the Von Crastenburg Hotel, where they will either kill the CEO with a sniper rifle or blow up his car once he is inside. Nobody in Los Santos is ever safe.

Betta Pharmaceuticals

Before players begin the mission, they are going to want to invest all of their money on their characters into Betta Pharmaceuticals over at BAWSAQ. Once the mission is complete, players will be able to sell all of their stocks around after two in-game hours, for a potential return of 50% more money than they invested initially.

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Bilkinton Research

Even better, when the mission is over, players should purchase the low stocks from Bilkinton Research at the LCN Exchange. Every penny the player has should go into the Bilkinton Research within 48 in-game hours since the completion of the Hotel Assassination Mission. After 72 in-game hours, players should sell all their Bilkinton Research stock for a potential return of 100% of their investment, almost doubling their entire amount of cash.

The Multi-Target Assassination

Potential Return Of 400%

The next Assassination Contract from Lester in Grand Theft Auto 5 is the Multi-Target Assassination. This will see Franklin search out four targets, each of which is a juror that has been paid off by Redwood Cigarettes to help with a potential lawsuit.

Debonaire

Before the mission begins, players should exchange all of their characters’ money for stocks in Debonaire on the LCN Exchange. After 2 in-game days, return to the LCN Exchange website to cash out their stocks, and see a potential return of 60%.

Redwood Cigarettes

The next best stock to invest in Grand Theft Auto 5 is Redwood Cigarettes on LCN Exchange, but only after the stock has plummeted as far as it can go, which can take up to 48 in-game hours. Redwood Cigarettes is by far the best investment, as after 72 in-game hours, players could see the potential for 300% more money than they invested.

The Vice Assassination

Potential Return Of 60%

More chicanery with the stock market sees Franklin receive his next target. Facade’s CEO, Jackson Skinner, is on the hit list, and it’s up to Franklin to take him out while he’s seeing a working girl at La Puerta. In doing so, Fruit Computer’s stock price would increase greatly.

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Fruit Computers

Before starting the Vice Assassination, players should take all their hard-earned and stolen blood money and invest it fully into Fruit Computers at BAWSAQ. After two in-game hours, players can expect a return of 50% of their cash, thus growing their money even further than before.

Facade

Next, comes Facade over at BAWSAQ. Players can invest their money into these stocks after they are at their lowest. After 48 in-game hours, Facade will allow players to grow their income by another 35%. Whilst less than previous stock entries, it’s still a great deal of money just waiting to be claimed.

The Bus Assassination

Potential Return Of 100%

This Assassination Mission is easier than the others, as it only requires players to invest in one stock in particular rather than juggling time and two stocks. Players need to take out Isaac Penny, the billionaire that is set to take control of Vapid.

Vapid

From the BAWSAQ stock exchange, players want to invest in Vapid stocks two in-game hours after completing the mission. After, players will need to wait without their money for 48 in-game hours, and then sell their stocks for another potential return of 100%, doubling their ever-increasing money once more.

The Construction Assassination

Potential Return Of 80%

The final Assassination Contract will see the last target, Enzo Bonelli, in the limelight for murder because he has been taking on work for the Gold Coast company, which is the sole target of Lester and Franklin’s latest and last business venture.

Gold Coast

Before the mission starts, players want to invest all of their money once again into the LCN Exchange website for the Gold Coast stocks. Then, after the mission has been completed, it will only take around two in-game hours for players to see a potential return of 75%, maximizing their return and running away with this get-rich-quick scheme in Grand Theft Auto 5. It’s by far one of the best ways of how to make Grand Theft Auto 5 money fast by using the Stock Market tricks.

Grand Theft Auto 5

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , PS3 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PC

Released

September 17, 2013

Developer(s)

Rockstar North

Publisher(s)

Rockstar Games

Genre(s)

Open-World , Action