The Number One Stock Market of the World

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No city comes even close to New York in terms of stock market power. Home to both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ), trillions of dollars of industrial and commercial value are made, lost and traded here every year. No firm of substance can afford to ignore the capitalist forum of the stock market. New York, the financial capital of the world's biggest economy, fittingly hosts the two largest bourses.

The vanguard position has not come automatically or without competition from the other metropolitan pivots of the world such as London. The NYSE and the NASDAQ exhibit top standards of professionalism, transparency and investor security. Sound systems blend with cutting edge information technology at the NYSE and the NASDAQ to show the stock market culture at its best. Each company which is a member of either of these two institutions can look forward to equal opportunities to attract and to retain funds from some of the most coveted sources anywhere.

Wall Street has become synonymous with financial achievement, and it is home to NYSE's main facilities. The environment on the trading floors is always exciting and designed to suit the information needs of prospective investors. The heart of the system is to allow buyers and sellers of company stocks to trade directly and through their nominated agents in the most transparent and fair manner. The NYSE combines the traditional trading floor environment with a modern and full-feature website, to suit the convenience and preferences of investors and member companies alike.

NASDAQ is not even four decades old, but has overtaken even the NYSE in terms of membership. It is an enduring symbol of the modern spirit of enterprise, with a string of some of the most successful companies of recent times as its members. NASDAQ has succeeded in breaking some entrenched trading structures through its electronic format. The concept of doing meaningful business from remote locations without physical format might have remained a dream were it not for the NASDAQ success story.

The NYSE and NASDAQ list more than 5 thousand firms and funds. They make unparalleled contributions to New York's economy and to its international stature as a premier trading center. The stock market is an essential component of the business relationship between companies and their investors. It acts as the ultimate measure of business performance and thereby drives managerial excellence. The stock market system also reflects the social concerns of business, because it gives even the smallest retail investor a close look at the decision-making processes and operations of the world's largest, most profitable and fastest growing companies.

It is easy and convenient for anyone to become a part of the stock market system. Serious trading requires technical skills, so it is best to begin investing on a modest scale through an accredited intermediary. However, many people take to analyzing companies like ducks to water, and are able to take trading decisions on their own relatively soon! It is also more rewarding than following a sports team or a political party!

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