History of the American and NASDAQ Stock Exchanges

 

The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) got its start in the 1800's and was known as the "Curb Exchange" until 1921 because it met as a market at the curbstone on Broad Street near Exchange Place. Its founding date is generally considered as 1921 because this is the year when it moved into new quarters on Trinity. However, it wasn't until 1953 that it officially became the American Stock Exchange. In November 1998, the National Association of Security Dealers announced that the American Stock Exchange would merge with the National Association of Securities Dealers creating "The Nasdaq-Amex Market Group." However, the American Stock Exchange remained as an active exchange.

Above: Broad Street and curb brokers, New York City, 1916 photographed by Irving Underhill. Prints and Photographs Division (Library of Congress) Reproduction number: LC-USZ62-119537

In October 1, 2008, the American Stock Exchange was acquired by NYSE Euronext. NYSE Euronext integrated amex.com content and data into the nyse.com website, phasing out amex.com, effective January 16, 2009. The new name is NYSE Amex . Founded by the National Association of Securities Dealers, the NASDAQ began trading on February 8, 1971, as the world's first electronic stock market, trading for over 2,500 securities. In 2000, NASDAQ membership voted to restructure and spin off NASDAQ into a shareholder-owned, for-profit company. In 2007, the NASD merged with the New York Stock Exchange's regulation committee to form the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ( FINRA). In May 2007, NASDAQ announced a transaction to create global exchange and technology company with Swedish exchange operator, OMX. Later that year, on November 7, 2007, NASDAQ OMX announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in America, founded in 1790. Today NASDAQ is the largest electronic stock market with over 3,000 companies listed. Internet Resources Equities (Product Look-up for NYSE Euronext publicly traded securities) Federal Reserve Bulletin Statistical Supplement See AMEX (monthly/yearly) table 1.36, "Stock Market, Selected Statistics" Wikipedia - NASDAQ Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) NASDAQ Statistical Milestones NASDAQ Daily Market Statistics Company List (NASDAQ, NYSE, & AMEX) Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society Among the interesting items found in the PAPERS section of this site are the National Association of securities Dealers (NASD) Annual Report, NASD Notice to Members, and NASD News.   Additional Reading NASDAQ : A History of the Market That Changed the World by Mark Ingebretsen. 1st ed. Roseville, Calif. : Forum, c2002. LC Call Number: HG4574.2 I54 Catalog Record: 2002016972 Table of Contents Publisher's Description AMEX: A History of the American Stock Exchange, 1921-1971 by Robert Sobel. New York, Weybright and Talley [1972]. LC Call Number: HG4575.S6 Catalog Record: 72086971 The Curbstone Brokers : The Origins of the American Stock Exchange by Robert Sobel. Washington, D.C. : BeardBooks, 2000. LC Call Number: HG4575.2 .S663 2000 Catalog Record: 00023571 Library of Congress Catalog Searches Additional works on the American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ stock market in The Library of Congress may be identified by searching the Online Catalog under appropriate Library of Congress subject headings. Choose the topics you wish to search from the following list of Library of Congress subject headings to link directly to the Catalog and automatically execute a search for the subject selected. For assistance in locating other subject headings which relate to this topic, please consult a reference librarian.