Stocks are an individual stake in the company. Once owned you are then referred to as a shareholder, and have an invested interest in the company's future. These stocks can be sold at anytime and can be highly liquid. Bonds are typically large in their nature, but are debts with interest rates. Many are curated and exchanged by large banks. The owner of a bond would be considered the loaner, as it is consisted of many liable debts culminated into one "bond".