Nasdaq

Nasdaq launched on February 8, 1971, as the world's first fully electronic stock market. It replaced the chaotic floor-based trading of previous eras with a computerized quotation system that displayed real-time bid and ask prices for over 2,500 securities. While trades were initially executed via telephone, the system introduced unprecedented transparency and speed to the financial world. This innovation laid the groundwork for modern electronic trading everywhere.

Today, Nasdaq is best known as the home of the world's largest technology companies. Giants like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google) all list on Nasdaq, giving the exchange a reputation as the financial epicenter of the digital economy. Its flagship index, the Nasdaq Composite, tracks over 3,000 stocks and is widely viewed as a barometer for the tech sector and growth-oriented companies. The exchange also operates the Nasdaq-100, which includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq, and the Nasdaq Financial-100 for financial firms.

Beyond its role as a stock exchange, Nasdaq, Inc. provides technology, data, and analytics to financial institutions worldwide. The company owns several Nordic and Baltic exchanges, including those in Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Reykjavík, and operates Nasdaq Private Market for trading private company shares. With headquarters at One Liberty Plaza in New York City and a workforce spread across the globe, Nasdaq continues to shape how capital markets function in the 21st century. [bearbeiten]

Nasdaqs Mission ist es, faire und geordnete Märkte zu betreiben, Investoren zu schützen und das öffentliche Interesse zu fördern. Der Corporate-Governance-Rahmen der Börse betont Transparenz und Rechenschaftspflicht, wobei der Vorstand das Management beaufsichtigt, um den langfristigen Aktionärswert zu gewährleisten. Die Corporate-Governance-Richtlinien von Nasdaq verlangen, dass der Vorstand regelmäßig strategische Pläne, Schlüsselinitiativen und Risiken bespricht. Die Börse unterhält außerdem einen globalen Verhaltenskodex, der für alle Mitarbeiter und Direktoren gilt und ihr Engagement für Integrität auf den Finanzmärkten unterstreicht. [bearbeiten]

The idea for Nasdaq emerged in the late 1960s, when the National Association of Securities Dealers recognized that over-the-counter trading needed a more efficient system. On February 8, 1971, Nasdaq launched as a computerized quotation system, displaying bid and ask prices for over 2,500 securities. It wasn't initially a fully electronic trading platform; trades were still executed by phone. But the system dramatically increased transparency and speed.

In the 1980s, Nasdaq became the exchange of choice for emerging technology companies. Intel listed in 1971, followed by Microsoft in 1986 and Apple in 1980. These listings cemented Nasdaq's identity as the tech exchange. The 1990s dot-com boom pushed trading volumes to record levels, and Nasdaq's market capitalization soared. After the 2000 crash, the exchange tightened listing standards and diversified its business.

In 2007, Nasdaq merged with the Scandinavian exchange group OMX, acquiring exchanges in Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and the Baltics. The parent company was renamed Nasdaq, Inc. in 2008. Under CEO Adena Friedman, who took the helm in 2017, Nasdaq has focused on becoming a technology company that happens to run an exchange, selling data and analytics to financial firms worldwide. [bearbeiten]