Lester’s Assassinations and the Stock Market

The richest players in Grand Theft Auto V’s story mode did not get there through heists alone. The real fortune comes from Lester’s assassination missions, which double as stock market plays. Take out a target, and the companies tied to that target rise or fall. Buy the right shares before and after each hit, and Franklin’s bank account can grow far beyond anything a robbery pays. This guide explains how the system works and how to approach it.

The Two Stock Exchanges

Grand Theft Auto V has two in-game stock markets, accessed through the internet on each character’s phone. LCN is the market influenced by events in your own game, including your missions and actions. BAWSAQ was originally tied to wider player activity. For the assassination strategy, the important part is that the companies involved in each hit react to what you do.

The Five Assassinations

Each target is connected to a company. Killing him hurts that company and helps its rival. The strategy is to invest in the rival before the hit, sell after its shares rise, and in some cases buy into the damaged company afterward, since it tends to recover over time.

Why Timing Matters

The most important rule is simple: only the Hotel Assassination is required during the story. The other four can wait, and they should. After The Big Score, each protagonist has far more money to invest, and the same percentage gain on a much larger sum turns millions into hundreds of millions.

A Safe Way to Play the Market

1. Save before each step Use a separate save slot before investing and before each mission.
2. Invest with all three characters Michael, Franklin and Trevor all have their own money to put in.
3. Complete the hit Franklin carries out the assassination.
4. Advance time Sleep in a safehouse bed to move the clock forward and check the stock.
5. Sell at the peak If the share value starts dropping, reload the earlier save and sell at the high point.

Stocks do not jump instantly. They tend to climb over in-game days, so sleeping and checking repeatedly is the usual way to catch the high point. Saving before each sleep means you can always go back if you wait too long.

Why We Do Not List Exact Percentages

Many guides give precise percentage gains for each company. Players regularly report that those numbers do not match their own games, especially after updates and on different console generations. The direction of each move tends to hold, but the size varies. That is why this guide focuses on which companies are involved and when to act, rather than promising specific returns. Watch the numbers in your own game and sell when they peak.

Other Ways the Market Moves

Lester’s missions are the headline, but they are not the only events that affect stocks. Some Strangers and Freaks missions and random events also influence certain companies. Experienced players use these smaller moves to build up their funds before the first assassination. They are less dramatic but worth keeping an eye on.

What to Do With the Money

Once your characters are rich, the map opens up. You can buy every property on the market, collect expensive vehicles and aircraft, and fully modify cars at Los Santos Customs. The 100% checklist also requires buying five properties, so a healthy bank balance makes completion much easier.

The stock market is one of the most rewarding systems in the game once you understand it. Try it for yourself on the home page and see how high Franklin’s balance can climb.