In the U.S., the most broadly followed indexes are the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq Composite Index.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) traces its origins to the Buttonwood Agreement signed by 24 stockbrokers on May 17, 1792 at 68 Wall St. The exchange began with five securities, which included three government bonds and two bank stocks and uses market capitalization to assign weights to the index's constituents.

It's the biggest marketplace in the world for investors to buy and sell shares of stock based on the total market capitalization of its listed securities.

One of the most familiar images of the NYSE, the loud ringing of a bell signaling the opening or closing of the day’s trading, was first used at the Exchange in the 1870s with the advent of continuous trading. The original bell of choice was a Chinese gong. Prior to 1995, the exchange's floor managers rang the bells.

The first permanent female member, Muriel Sibert was inaugurated on December 28, 1967. Siebert’s entry to the Floor was followed by the first Black member, Joseph L. Searles III, on February 12, 1970, the first Black member firm, Daniels & Bell Inc, in 1971, and the first Black female member, Gail Pankey in 1985.

The NYSE became a public entity on March 8, 2006. It was acquired by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) group in 2013.

In 2018, Stacey Cunningham became the first woman to lead the NYSE when she was named the Exchange’s 67th President. This was followed by the naming of the second female and 68th President, Lynn Martin.