Stock Exchange
A stock exchange, securities exchange or (in Europe) bourse is a corporation or mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade stocks and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue and redemption of securities as well as other financial instruments and capital events including the payment of income and dividends. The securities traded on a stock exchange include: shares issued by companies, unit trusts and other pooled investment products and bonds. To be able to trade a security on a certain stock exchange, it has to be listed there. Usually there is a central location at least for recordkeeping, but trade is less and less linked to such a physical place, as modern markets are electronic networks, which gives them advantages of speed and cost of transactions. Trade on an exchange is by members only. The initial offering of stocks and bonds to investors is by definition done in the primary market and subsequent trading is done in the secondary market. A stock exchange is often the most important component of a stock market. Supply and demand in stock markets is driven by various factors which, as in all free markets, affect the price of stocks .
1- Tehran, Iran
Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE)
Year Opened: 1967
Listed Companies: 400
Total Market Capitalization: $70 billion
2006 Trade Volume: $4.8 billion
2- New York , USA
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
Year Opened: 1792
Listed Companies: 2,773
Total Market Capitalization: $25 trillion
2006 Trade Volume: $22 trillion
3- London , United Kingdom
London Stock Exchange (LSE)
Year Opened: 1801
Listed Companies: 3,223
Total Market Capitalization: $4.1 trillion
2006 Trade Volume: $7.5 trillion
4- Tokyo , Japan
Tokyo Stock Exchange
Year Opened: 1878
Listed Companies: 2,412
Total Market Capitalization: JPY 483.828 trillion (2007)
2006 Trade Volume: JPY 762.646 trillion/year (2007)
5- Hong Kong , China
Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE)
Year Opened: 1914
Listed Companies: 1,206
Total Market Capitalization: $2.3 trillion
2006 Trade Volume: $430 million
6- Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi Stock Exchange
Year Opened: 1954
Listed Companies: 55
Total Market Capitalization: $12 billion
2006 Trade Volume: $2.1 billion
7- Kuwait
Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE)
Year Opened: 1963
Listed Companies: 190
Total Market Capitalization: $106 billion
2006 Trade Volume: $60 billion
8- BM&F Bovespa , Brazil
Brazilian Mercantile & Futures Exchange
Year Opened: 1890
Listed Companies: 450
Traded volume of USD 4.2 billion
9- Dubai , Emirate
Dubai Financial Market
Year Opened: 2000
Listed Companies: 57
Total Market Capitalization: $98 billion
2006 Trade Volume: $95 billion
10- Toronto , Canada
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) or (Torex) is the largest stock exchange in Canada, the third largest in North America and the seventh largest in the world by market capitalization.
Year Opened: 1852
Listed Companies: 3,951
Total Market Capitalization: $2.2 trillion
