SHIA LaBeouf has confirmed reports he’s started trading stocks and shares.

The actor — who is currently shooting new movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, which sees him play a young Wall Street whizzkid who dates the daughter of Michael Douglas‘ Gordon Gekko character — says he knew nothing about the financial world when he was first cast by Oliver Stone, so he walked into a brokerage firm and asked for help — and soon got so hooked, it has become the biggest part of his life.

The actor says he used $20,000 to study the markets. “As of this morning, that’s $297,000,” he said.

“I manage my own portfolio. I check through the day, read the daily Wall Street Journal, trade personally on my cellphone, text people throughout the day, carry my laptop on the set, have Bloomberg on speed-dial. I now have lots of friends in lots of places.”

And the Transformers star is not alone — his costar Josh Brolin has also become hooked on trading.

“Shia and Josh Brolin finish their scenes, then talk market all day,” said director Stone. “I now go to Shia to ask, ‘What’s happening in the market?’ He started on it with this film and now knows everything.”

Shia LaBeouf has a set up a sexy sideline — he’s started trading stocks and shares!

The actor — who is currently shooting new movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, which sees him play a young Wall Street whizzkid who dates the daughter of Michael Douglas‘ Gordon Gekko character — has apparently been winning huge sums with his new hobby.

“He’s been learning the ins and outs of the market. Shia says that he’s made more than $50,000 already,” a source told Star magazine.

Meanwhile, it has been claimed that Shia’s been giving the paparazzi a bit of a hard time.

“Shia wants nothing to do with photographers,” an insider told Fox News. “In fact, he goes out of his way to avoid them, and when he can’t avoid them, he has his handlers demand they not use flashbulbs because they bother his eyes, even when there’s only two or three photographers around. He’s a young guy, so that’s an insane request to make!”

Diva alert!

Shia LaBeouf has apparently riled producers of his new movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, which stars Michael Douglas — by refusing to be photographed.

“Shia wants nothing to do with photographers,” an insider told Fox News. “In fact, he goes out of his way to avoid them, and when he can’t avoid them, he has his handlers demand they not use flashbulbs because they bother his eyes, even when there’s only two or three photographers around. He’s a young guy, so that’s an insane request to make!”

Shia, the source says, elbowed one photographer while he was filming the movie in NYC’s Meatpacking District.

“The photographer was standing against a wall, being careful to respect Shia’s space,” the insider revealed.

“And as Shia passed by him, he went out of his way to move closer to him and give him an elbow to the shoulder as he passed by. It was so out of line.

“His obsession with his privacy is just plain ridiculous.”

Shia LaBeouf is dating British actress Carey Mulligan, according to reports.

The actor, 23, has been spotted cuddling and kissing the 24-year-old beauty — his costar in Oliver Stone’s Wall Street sequel, Money Never Sleeps — during a break from filming in New York.

“They seemed very, very happy,” an onlooker said. “They were talking, laughing and smiling and seemed very close.”

Reps for both actors could not be reached for comment.

Mulligan might be left disappointed when she gets LaBeouf into bed — the actor recently revealed he isn’t very well endowed.

In a July interview with Playboy magazine, the Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen star recalled losing his virginity.

“Getting naked was very strange,” he said. “It was the first time I’d been naked in the light, in front of a girl, with no hiding place.

“I remember putting a pillow underneath her because I had seen that in a porn movie…[It] put her at a weird angle, where I couldn’t get in correctly. I’m not extremely well-endowed … and clearly this wasn’t the move.

“We had a lot of sex and would read the Kama Sutra together and do the wildest s***.”

Shia LaBeouf has a confession — he isn’t very well-endowed.

In a new interview with Playboy magazine, the Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen star recalls losing his virginity.

“Getting naked was very strange,” he said. “It was the first time I’d been naked in the light, in front of a girl, with no hiding place.

“I remember putting a pillow underneath her because I had seen that in a porn movie…[It] put her at a weird angle, where I couldn’t get in correctly. I’m not extremely well-endowed … and clearly this wasn’t the move.

“We had a lot of sex and would read the Kama Sutra together and do the wildest s***.”

At least we know the girl in question wasn’t his mother!

“I’m not having sex with my mother. It’s ridiculous,” Shia recently said. “I don’t have any problems appearing crazy to make my mother smile, but she is the most beautiful woman on this planet and I love her.

“She’s fly as hell. I stand by that. My mom’s awesome.”

Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf have at least one thing in common — they both love smoking marijuana!

The Transformers costars — who are widely rumored to be dating — are said to be “very vocal” about their pro-marijuana stance.

“Megan and Shia are very vocal about their pro-marijuana stance,” an insider told the National Enquirer magazine.

“They’ve both indulged, and they’ve had many lively late-night conversations about how marijuana should be legalized.

“They also support hemp as an alternative energy source, and they joke about growing old together as an eccentric hippie couple.”

Fox, 23, has previously confessed, “I can’t tell you how much I’ve been through because I will openly say that I smoke weed. People look at it like it’s this crazy, hippie thing to do. And it’s not.

“I hope they legalize it. And when they do, I’ll be the first person in line to buy my pack of joints.”

And Shia — who is also 23 — has previously dished, “I grew up with a bunch of hippies, and marijuana was always around.

“Pot was never looked at as a negative thing. I could smoke it on holidays with my parents, and we were all good.

“I like pot. I can put limits on it.”

Shia LaBeouf doesn’t have any hobbies — because he has spent so much time concentrating on his acting career.

The 23-year-old star feels he needs to have more interests and is hoping his Transformers costar Megan Fox will help him.

“The unknown drives me crazy,” he says. “I’m a control freak. Most actors are, because it’s all about control.

“And my whole life has been this industry. So I hope to have hobbies and branch out into other worlds like my friends. Megan is a girl that knows how to have fun.”

LaBeouf recently revealed that filming new movie Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen was exhausting.

“I don’t even know how to describe that level of exhaustion,” he said. “When you become jaded and not bothered by a car flipping over your head because you have been doing a 28-hour day, then you know you must be tired.”

Shia LaBeouf knew he was exhausted while filming his new movie Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen — because he didn’t even care that cars were flipping and exploding just meters above his head.

The actor says he has never been so tired as he was during that movie.

“I don’t even know how to describe that level of exhaustion,” explains Shia. “When you become jaded and not bothered by a car flipping over your head because you have been doing a 28-hour day, then you know you must be tired.”

Shia was recently forced to deny claims he was having sex with his mother after comments he made about his mom being “sexiest woman I know” were taken out of context.

“I’m not having sex with my mother. It’s ridiculous,” he told US TV show Extra. “I don’t have any problems appearing crazy to make my mother smile, but she is the most beautiful woman on this planet and I love her.

“She’s fly as hell. I stand by that. My mom’s awesome.”

Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox have fueled speculation they’re more than just good friends.

The Transformers costars were seen sitting side by side during a dinner with 10 pals — including director Oliver Stone — at Nobu on Thursday.

“They definitely seemed into each other,” an onlooker told the New York Daily News, adding that when Fox left at 10 p.m., LaBeouf followed hot on her heels. “Shia couldn’t keep his eyes off of Megan: He literally watched her like a hawk all night.

Earlier this month, Showbiz Spy reported that the pair had talked about taking their relationship to the next level.

“Megan and Shia have spoken about what would happen if they were to follow their hearts and start dating,” a source told Britain’s Star magazine, “and they worry about the effect it would have on their onscreen chemistry.

“If it worked out that love was on the cards for Megan and Shia, it could increase their appeal onscreen.

“But if they tried and it failed, it could spell disaster for the anticipated Transformers sequels, so they have to be really careful.”

Megan Fox wants to take her friendship with her Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen costar Shia LaBeouf to the next level — and the pair has agreed to proceed with caution.

The 23-year-old beauty is single after splitting from former fiance Brian Austin Green.

And Megan is apparently keen to get serious with Shia, also 23.

“Megan and Shia have spoken about what would happen if they were to follow their hearts and start dating,” a source tells Britain’s Star magazine, “and they worry about the effect it would have on their onscreen chemistry.”

“If it worked out that love was on the cards for Megan and Shia, it could increase their appeal onscreen,” the source adds. “But if they tried and it failed, it could spell disaster for the anticipated Transformers sequels, so they have to be really careful.”

Megan has previously praised Shia’s kissing technique.

“I’ve said it before, he’s a really good kisser,” Fox said. “It’s always awkward, you’re on set with a bunch of grown men, sweaty sitting outside, carrying camera equipment and wanting to take their break, and you’re having to kiss!”