what is the nasdaq

The Nasdaq Stock Market is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the US by volume and the second-largest stock exchange in the world for investors looking to buy and sell shares of stock. Nasdaq is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities. It operates 29 markets, one clearinghouse, and five central securities depositories in the United States and Europe. The exchange platform is owned by Nasdaq, Inc., which also owns the Nasdaq Nordic stock market network and several U.S.-based stock and options exchanges. Nasdaq was initially an acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. It was founded in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) . The Nasdaq stock market comprises two separate markets, namely the Nasdaq National Market, which trades large, active securities, and the Nasdaq Smallcap Market.