Nasdaq

Nasdaq refers to the Nasdaq Stock Market, a global electronic securities exchange network based in New York City. It is one of the largest stock exchanges in the United States by market capitalization and by the number of listed companies. Nasdaq began in 1971 as the world’s first electronic stock market, created by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) to automate quotation and trade execution. In 2008, Nasdaq merged with OMX to form Nasdaq OMX Group; in 2013 the company was renamed Nasdaq, Inc., reflecting a broader scope of exchange, data, and technology services. Today, Nasdaq, Inc. operates multiple exchange venues and technology platforms in addition to the Nasdaq Stock Market.

The Nasdaq operates primarily as a fully electronic trading platform. The market center performs order routing, trade execution, and post-trade processing for equities, options, and exchange-traded products. Market data and order information are widely distributed to market participants around the world. The Nasdaq markets are organized into three listing tiers: Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, and Nasdaq Capital Market. Companies listed on Nasdaq must meet corporate governance, financial disclosure, and minimum listing standards administered by Nasdaq, Inc., with oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States.

Notable indices include the Nasdaq Composite, which covers most Nasdaq-listed securities, and the Nasdaq-100, which tracks the largest non-financial companies by market capitalization. In competition with the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq is particularly associated with technology and growth-oriented companies, though it hosts a diverse range of issuers.