NASDAQ

History of the NASDAQ :

The NASDAQ was developed in 1971 as the first electronic stock exchange in the world. It was created as a means to increase the trading of Over-the-Counter stocks, those that were unable to meet listing requirements for larger exchanges. 2,500 OTC stocks were traded on the NASDAQ's first trading day, February 8, 1971.

The division between the NASDAQ National Market and the NASDAQ Small-Cap Market developed from 1982 to 1986, as the larger companies separated themselves from the smaller ones. It was in the 1990's that the NASDAQ began to be seen as a competitor of the NYSE, and in 1994 the NASDAQ beat the NYSE in annual shares traded. In 1998, the NASDAQ merged with the American Stock Exchange, which mostly traded options and derivatives, creating the NASDAQ-AMEX Market Group. The combined company still operates as two separate exchanges, but is better able to compete with the NYSE.