What is the difference between Nasdaq, Dow Jones, and S&P Markets?
98294
THe NASDAQ originally meanr,National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation.  Its a computerized trading system.  In other words there isnt a physical place, a building like the New York Stock Exchange.  The number you see quoted is a composite of around 5,000 stocks traded on the computerized system.\n\nThe S&P 500 is an index of 500 stocks. It is 500 of the most widely held U.S.-based common stocks, chosen by the S&P Index Committee for market size, liquidity, and sector representation.  The only reason a company is deleted from the index is if it goes bankrupt or it merges with another company.  The S&P 500 accounts for 70 percent of all capitalization of the US equity markets\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average is a price-weighted average of 30  stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.  The average consists of 30 of the largest and most widely held public companies in the United States. The Dow Jones averages are computed by summing the prices of the stocks in the average and then dividing by a constant called the divisor. The divisor for the Dow Jones Industrial Average is adjusted periodically to reflect splits in the stocks making up the average.  Since it is price weighted a $1 increase in a lower-priced stock can be negated by a $1 decrease in a  higher-priced stock, even though the lower priced stock had a larger percentage change
754169
The main difference is that ETFs track an index (for example, the S&P 500), and for various reasons they trade at almost exactly their NAV (Net Asset Value, the value of the stocks held by the fund).\n\nClosed end funds are like ETFs in that their shares trade on the open market, but they don't follow an index. They are "actively managed": the managers choose stocks based on their judgement. For various reasons, they may trade at a "premium" (the share price is higher than the NAV) or a "discount."\n\nWith an ETF, you always know exactly what stocks the fund holds because it tracks the index. This is why the price is the same as the NAV (arbitrage keeps the price the same).\n\nWith a closed end fund, you may not know until the quarterly report.\n\nBoth your comments are correct. There's talk of allowing ETFs that are actively managed. Not sure how that would work. I'm guessing that the fund's holdings will be reported daily. \n\nAnd yes, some ETFs track specially-created indexes, such as indexes on water reources or alternative energy. This is another advantage of ETFs: some of them track specialized market sectors not available in funds.
503537
The difference between the Nasdaq and the NYSE is:\n\n1. The Nasdaq is traded electronically.  All of the trades are executed by computer which leaves little human error.\n2. The NYSE is done by people.  When you see TV shows and movies (like Trading Places with Eddie Murphy)there are people in a pit that are waving their hands back and forth.  They are doing manually what the Nasdaq does on the computer.  If you go to the Nasdaq website: www.nasdaq.com you should be able to get your questions answered. \n\nOn your second question: bid v. ask, the bid price is what most investors on the aggregate are willing to pay for a stock, and the ask price is what the holders of the stock are willing to sell it for.  It is the old supply and demand principles at work.
426270
FTSE = (i think) Financial Times Stock Exchange\nNASDAQ = National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations\n\nhope this helps dude!
610356
Stocks are listed on one exchange or the other, not both.
174086
Time series data is data taken at different, usually equally spaced, times.  The Dow Jones Average for one year is a time series.\n\nCross sectional or longitudinal data is taken at one time.  The prices of stocks at the close of the day today is cross sectional data.
996234
No, they are not the same thing.  \n\nI hope the following is helpful:\n \nNASDAQ - The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation\n\nSome Basic Vocabulary:  \n\nIndex - An unmanaged selection of securities whose collective performance is used as a standard to measure investment results  e.g. Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Standard and Poor's 500, Wilshire 5000.font\n\nNasdaq Composite Index - MARKET-value weighted index, where each company's securities affects Index in proportion to its market value; (market value is last sale price multiplied by total shares outstanding, calculated throughout the day)\n\nNOTE:  Nasdaq Composite index includes over 5,000 companies; therefore broad-based and widely used\n\nDow Jones Industrial Average Index - a PRICE-weighted average of 30 actively traded blue chip (high value) stocks, primarily industrials, but also American Express and AT &T Company.\nIt is the oldest and most widely quoted index; calculated by adding closing prices of component stocks and using special DIVISOR that is adjusted for splits and stock dividends equal to 10% or more of market value of an issue (as well as substitutions and mergers); quoted in points, not dollars\n\nBased on Dow Theory (Dow theory maintains that no real market trends exist unless correlation occurs in industrial, transportation and utility averages)\n\nTherefore, the main differences between Nasdaq and Dow Jones Indexes are:  number of companies used for calculations, whether market value-weighted or price-weighted, time and frequency of calculation, and use in Dow Jones Index of divisor in calculations\n\nOther terms:\n\nTSE - Toronto Stock Exchange (Canada's largest stock exchange)\nTSE300 - Toronto Stock Exchange 100 Index (Canadian form of S&P500)\n\nBull  - Investor whoo expects stock prices to rise\nBear - Investor who believes stock prices about to decline\n\nOptions - Give holder right to buy (call) or sell (put) a specified amount of an underlying security at a specific price within a specified time frame\n\n\nI can add that if you go to http://www.fantasystocks.com/glossary/, you can get a lot of good definitions/explanations re. Nasdaq, Dow Jones and other stock market related terms.
445746
Barchart.com- is a great site to research data on all markets; stocks, currencies, futures. Lots of really good data, although not too much commentary.\n\nMarketwatch.com- Run by Cbs, a good site with lots of articles, data and opinions on the stock market  the financial sector, and various companies.\n\nMorningstar.com- A good site with tons of articles, learning centers and opinions on stocks mutual funds. Mainly focuses on stock markets/mutual funds though.
387456
Financial services is a broad term. It could mean stock trading, bond buying, mutual fund portfolio, money lending, mortgage loans, etc. Yet, the financial center of this country is Wall Street in New York City. London, Paris, Tokoyo are others world financial centers. Wall Street is home to three big stock markets in this country, the venerable New York Stock Exchange, the up and coming NASDAQ and Standard and Poor's. To go on the trading floor to buy or sell stocks, you would need a trading license.
650033
There are specific requirements for each exchange.  For NYSE and AMEX, these requirements include minimum stock price and minimum amounts of capitolization (read 100 million dollars minimum). \n\nNASDAQ is less stringent, but you still have to have capitalization in excess of $25 million and the share price must stay above $1 per share.  \n\nIn general, if you're asking the question, you can't afford to do it.
164858
I got an answer from the NASDAQ a few weeks ago and I suspect that the NYSE is pretty much the same. Basically the only people allowed to ring the opening / closing bell at the NASDAQ and NYSE are:\n\nChairmen of listed companies\nSpecial Guests (for instance heads of state or visiting finance ministers)\nCharties (at Christmas and New Year)
131182
You are most likely thinking of the Nasdaq and Dow Jones Indicies.\n\nThese are not stocks.\n\nThey are indicies of a variety of stocks that investors use as a kind of barometer for the stock market in general.\n\nThere are only 30 stocks in the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) and over 3000 companies in the Nasdaq Composite index.\n\nWhile these indicies aren't stocks in and of themselves, you are able to buy ETFs (Exchange traded funds) that are copies of the indicies.  That's kind of like "buying" the index itself and performance of the ETF will mirror that of the index.
290647
Check out Investopedia.com.  There's a ton of info, definitions, and helpful articles.  Here's a link:  http://www.investopedia.com/university/stocks/
104390
S&P 500 index, Australia index, and a small cap value iShare.\n\nHmm, I would have to ask why you wanted to be exposed to australia stocks in particular. Maybe you have a good reason. The other two are a good way to come out right about market returns.\n\nIf you want above market returns you will have to do something out of the ordinary. Read this book and see if its for you:\nhttp://search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&isbn=0471733067
1058114
Companies issue and sell their stock to raise money. So stocks give you ownership of the company which issued stocks. Stock market is where stocks are being traded: sold and bought; example New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, etc. That's a 30-second overview. Go to website www.investopedia.com.. Very good website to get education. Also, there is a stock trader simulator, give it a try.
68588
Dow Jones Averages Overview\n\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial, Transportation and Utilities Averages are maintained and reviewed by editors of The Wall Street Journal. For the sake of continuity, composition changes are rare, and generally occur only after corporate acquisitions or other dramatic shifts in a component's core business. When such an event necessitates that one component be replaced, the entire index is reviewed. As a result, multiple component changes are often implemented simultaneously. \n\nWhile there are no rules for component selection, a stock typically is added only if it has an excellent reputation, demonstrates sustained growth, is of interest to a large number of investors and accurately represents the sector(s) covered by the average. \n\nUnlike the DJTA and DJUA, which include only transportation and utilities stocks, the DJIA is not limited to traditionally defined industrial stocks. Instead, the index serves as a measure of the entire U.S. market, covering such diverse industries as financial services, technology, retail, entertainment and consumer goods. \n\n\nCalculation\n\nThe Dow Jones averages are unique in that they are price weighted rather than market capitalization weighted. Their component weightings are therefore affected only by changes in the stocks' prices, in contrast with other indexes' weightings that are affected by both price changes and changes in the number of shares outstanding. \n\nWhen the averages were initially created, their values were calculated by simply adding up the component stocks' prices and dividing by the number of components. Later, the practice of adjusting the divisor was initiated to smooth out the effects of stock splits and other corporate actions. \n\nThe current divisor values are as follows: DJIA 0.12493117, DJTA 0.22687161 and DJUA 1.46461169.
1039908
I think you need to do some basic research on stocks before you jump in.  You can easily lose your 4k if you're not careful.  The things you listed are indexes and markets.  The NYSE is a stock exchange.  It is a private company who has a stock (NYX).  The S&P 500 is an index comprising the 500 largest companies in America.  The NASDAQ is a market and also an index.  The NASDAQ contains "mostly" newer companies and tech companies.\n\nDo your research.