In the stock market or stock exchange, buyers and sellers invest in stocks and may profit or lose capital depending on whether there is a bull or bear market.
Wall Street is the financial capital of the US. It influences major markets throughout the financial world. The world's two largest stock exchanges lie only minutes apart in New York City, United States (New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ).
The stock exchanges in developed countries, as well as those exchanges in developing countries, serve as barometers of where the country's economy is likely headed. These are the biggest stock exchanges in the world and their market capitalization value of shares in 2018:
New York Stock Exchange, United States ($21.3 Trillion)
NASDAQ, United States ($10.93 Trillion)
Japan Exchange Group, Japan ($6.22 Trillion)
Shanghai Stock Exchange, China ($5.01 Trillion)
Euronext ($4.58 Trillion)
Hong Kong Stock Exchange ($4.46 Trillion)
London Stock Exchange Group, United Kingdom and Italy ($4.38 Trillion)
Shenzhen Stock Exchange, China ($3.49 Trillion)
