There are many stock markets around the globe and while the United States still has the largest exchange in the world, global stock markets outside the US and Europe, have grown significantly and continue to grow.
In fact, Asia now has some of the largest exchanges in the world today and they have increasing influence on the world stage. The global stock markets are worth more than $70 trillion in total.
Here we will look at some of the largest and most influential stock markets in the world.
New York Stock Exchange
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The New York stock exchange (NYSE), which has been around since 1792, is the largest exchange in the world and it is estimated that it represents a third of all equities traded around the world.
It is estimated to be worth close to $18.8 trillion. It is part of NYSE EURONEXT which has exchanges both in the US and Europe.
NASDAQ
NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is the second largest market, worth around $7.5 trillion and is based in New York.
It is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities. It opened in 1971. The Nasdaq Composite is a list of more than 3,000 stocks on the exchange, including companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, Oracle and more.
Tokyo Stock Exchange
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The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), which was estimated to have opened in 1878, is Japan’s largest exchange and, excluding the Nasdaq) is the largest exchange in the world behind the New York stock exchange.
The Japan Exchange Group is worth $4.9 trillion. There are about 2,000 companies listed on the TSE and it is increasing in size thanks to the strong national currency. The TSE partners with other exchanges around the world, such as the London stock exchange.
London Stock Exchange
The London stock exchange (LSE), which was estimated to have opened around a decade after the NYSE in 1801, has around 3,000 companies from around the world trading on it and its affiliate exchanges.
It is worth an estimated $3.6 trillion from its listed companies, making it a top five stock market.
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong stock exchange has approximately 1,500 companies listed on it and it is worth around $3.1 trillion. The market opened just before 1900 and it represents one of the main ways for global investors to invest in China. The Hong Kong stock exchange is one of the ten largest stock exchanges.
Shanghai Stock Exchange
The Shanghai stock exchange only opened in the late 1990s making it one of the newest exchanges in the world. There are approximately 1,500 companies traded on the exchange and it is worth around $3.9 trillion.
Trading volume increased sharply since it opened, but has fallen since 2008 when peak investment interest in China was reached. Trading is limited due to the fact that A shares in Chinese companies are only available to Chinese citizens who live in China.
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