What Is Stock Market?
Definition and plain-English explanation of "Stock Market"
The stock market is a collection of exchanges where buyers and sellers trade shares of publicly listed companies. Major US exchanges include the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ. Stock markets provide companies with capital to grow and give investors the opportunity to share in that growth. The overall performance of the US stock market is typically measured by the S&P 500 index.
Related Terms
A stock (also called a share or equity) is a fractional ownership stake in a company. When you buy a...
A bull market is a period in which stock prices are rising or expected to rise — generally defined a...
A bear market is a period of declining stock prices, typically defined as a drop of 20% or more from...
Market capitalisation (market cap) is the total value of a company's outstanding shares. It is calcu...
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