Stock Exchanges and Market Indexes
Understand where stocks trade and how indexes like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq show the overall market trend.
Exchanges are where stocks trade. Indexes track how groups of stocks perform.
Stock exchanges
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): Home to large, established companies.
NASDAQ: Mostly tech-focused, fully digital.
Other global markets: London Stock Exchange, Tokyo Stock Exchange, and more.
Market indexes
Indexes show how the market as a whole is doing:
S&P 500: Tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. companies.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 30 large U.S. firms.
NASDAQ Composite: Focused on tech and growth stocks.
Bottom line
Exchanges are where trades happen. Indexes are how we measure the market’s mood. Together, they tell you where your investments stand.