Global Stock Markets

In the beginning of October 2008 international stock market was an estimated $36.6 trillion USD. Global stock exchanges and transactions are handled by members from more than 105 stock exchanges, which are located in countries throughout the world. Every important financial sector in the world has a stock exchange. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, began in 1792) is the largest and most liquid exchange group

in the world, London, Tokyo and Frankfurt have major markets as well. In 2007 Euronext, an inter-European exchange merged with the NYSE, which combined facilities, located in Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam and other European cities.

By supplying a centralized, securities market for exchange stock exchanges greatly alleviate the financing of business through floatation of bonds and stocks. However, speculating the value of stocks can occasionally accentuate the instability of our economy. A perfect example of this is the Great Depression, which followed the stock market crash in 1929.

The Securities and Exchange Commission enforces federal laws that regulate interstate sales of securities and other practices involving the stock exchange. Nowadays, a majority of stocks are exchanged over-the-counter by organizations such as Nasdaq (National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotations) and its European equivalent Nasdaq Europe (formerly Easdaq). With these organizations, handling a majority of trades and exchanges this means many securities are not listed on the major stock exchange and are traded by dealers using telecommunications technology; in 1994, Nasdaq surpassed the NYSE in yearly share volume in stocks traded most of which was done through computers and other high -tech devices.

The London stock exchange noticed a business decline following deregulation of the British stock market in 1986, mostly because new technology and a computerized market like Nasdaq.

Trades driven by computers have significantly impacted the stock exchange. Telecommunications and computer technology in addition to creating a market in over the counter trading, technology has created a platform for trading internationally. Personal computers and the internet permit trading to take place around the clock (after NYSE has closed). Some experts say that the conventional way of trading stocks may one day become obsolete.