At 10 a.m., a loud bell signals the start of trade on the wide, open floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). With a buzz of activity, hundreds of brokers and clerks rush from one trading desk to the next. They pause only to gaze up at the video monitors that flicker with changing stock prices.

More than 100 million shares of stock will be bought and sold before the closing bell sounds at 4 p.m. Fortunes are made and lost. More importantly, the trading provides the cash needed to run America's banks, insurance companies, and major industries. In return for his or her money, the investor gains stock, a part-ownership in a company. Every investor hopes this stock will increase in value, so it can be sold at a profit.

The NYSE began as a gathering of men who traded stocks beneath a buttonwood tree on New York's Wall Street in the 1790's and grew to be the world's largest financial marketplace. Since 1953, membership in this private society of stockbrokers has been limited to 1,366. New brokers join by purchasing a seat from an existing member. These brokers can then buy and sell stock for themselves as well as outside investors.

New York
guide, hotels

New York City
Highlights
When to go
Arrival
Transportation
Walking
Eating and drinking
KIDS:
  Kids New York
  Kids activities
  Kids toys, clothing
  Kids cultural activities
The Giuliani years
September 11, 2001
World Trade Center
Best of New York
Gays and Lesbian
G & L accommodation
G & L bars
G & L Clubs
Media
N Y tours: bus/copter
N Y tours: water/walking
Free museums hours
Staten Island ferry
Parades and Festivals
Shops and markets
Clothes, fashion
Diamond District
Food and drink
Liquor stores
Music
Music-special interest
Art galleries

New York
guide, hotels, airfares

 New York hotels
 New York hotels 2
 New York hotels 3

Cruises
Car rental
Road trip

Exploring New York
v 42nd Street and around
v Central Park
v Chelsea
v Chinatown
v City Hall and TriBeCa
v East Village
v Fifth Avenue & around
v Financial District
v Garment District
v Harlem and N Manhattan
v Little Italy and NoLita
v Lower East Side
v Metropolitan Museum of Art
v Midtown East
v Park Avenue (Midtown)
v United Nations
v Midtown West
v Murray Hill
v Outer boroughs
v Bronx
v Brooklyn Heights
v Queens
v SoHo
v Statue of Liberty & Ellis Is
v Union Sq & Gramercy Park
v Upper E side
v Upper W side
v Walking Tours
vWest Village