Väärtpaberibörs

Väärtpaberibörs, or stock exchange, is a marketplace where buyers and sellers trade company shares and other securities. It provides a regulated environment for the issuance and trading of financial instruments, facilitating capital formation for businesses and investment opportunities for individuals and institutions. The primary function of a stock exchange is to ensure liquidity, meaning that securities can be easily bought and sold.

Transactions on a väärtpaberibörs typically involve listed companies that have met certain criteria for admission. These companies offer their shares to the public through an initial public offering (IPO) or subsequent offerings. Investors, ranging from individual retail investors to large institutional funds, can then trade these shares on the exchange. Prices are determined by supply and demand, with fluctuations reflecting market sentiment, company performance, and broader economic factors.

Key participants in a väärtpaberibörs include investors, issuers (companies), brokers (who execute trades on behalf of clients), and the exchange itself, which provides the infrastructure and enforces trading rules. Exchanges also play a role in disseminating market data, ensuring transparency and fairness. Major global stock exchanges include the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Nasdaq, and the London Stock Exchange (LSE). In Estonia, the Nasdaq Tallinn is the primary securities exchange.