The NYSE is the biggest stock exchange in the world, based on the total value of the securities it lists, and it’s in New York City. The NYSE was a private organization before becoming public on March 8, 2006, after acquiring Archipelago. In 2007, it merged with Euronext, the biggest stock exchange in Europe, to form NYSE Euronext. Later, Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) acquired NYSE Euronext. So, what Is NYSE?
Learn more about New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange, also called the “Big Board,” is situated on Wall Street in New York City. It has separate trading floors for equities and New York Stock Exchange American options exchange. The buildings at 18 Broad St. and 11 Wall St. were declared historical landmarks in 1978.
The NYSE used floor trading with open outcry for a long time. Now, most trades on the NYSE are done electronically by designated market makers. DMMs offer quotes that are competitive with floor traders and other market participants.
The NYSE is open for trading Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, but closed on some U.S. holidays. If a holiday lands on a Saturday, the NYSE might be closed on the Friday before. If a holiday is on a Sunday, the NYSE could be closed on the Monday after.
NYSE’s History
- On October 24, 1929, the worst stock market crash in U.S. history began on Black Thursday and continued into a sell-off panic on Black Tuesday,
- October 29. This followed the London Stock Exchange crash in September, signaling the start of the Great Depression that affected Western industrialized countries.
- On October 1, 1934, the NYSE became a national securities exchange with the SEC Government agency that safeguards investors, ensures fair securities markets.
- October 19, 1987, saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average drop 508 points, a 22.6% loss in a single day. After the 9/11 attacks, trading at the NYSE was halted for four days and resumed on September 17, with about $1.4 trillion lost in the five days following the reopening—the biggest losses in NYSE history.
- In October 2008, NYSE Euronext acquired the American Stock Exchange for $260 million in stock.
- On May 6, 2010, the DJIA experienced its largest intraday drop since October 19, 1987, falling 998 points in the 2010 Flash Crash.
- On December 20, 2012, ICE proposed to buy NYSE Euronext in a stock swap valued at $8 billion. The New York Stock Exchange was fined $4.5 million by the SEC on May 1, 2014, to settle charges of market rule violations. Stacey Cunningham became the first female president of the NYSE on May 25, 2018. The onset of COVID-19 pandemic fears on March 16, 2020, led to the DJIA suffering its largest daily point drop in history, falling 2,997.10 points from the previous close. Percentage-wise, it was the third worst day ever.
- On March 23, 2020, the New York Stock Exchange temporarily closed floor trading due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing operations electronically.
- March 24, 2020, saw the DJIA record its largest one-day point gain on expectations of a stimulus relief bill. Percentage-wise, it was the fifth best day ever.
Conclusion
The NYSE, founded under a buttonwood tree in Manhattan, is the oldest and most influential stock exchange in the US. It is also the largest in the world by total listed company market cap. Known as a symbol of Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange continues to be the top choice for stock trading and lists the most significant publicly-traded American companies.