NASDAQ

Overview The NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System) might be familiar to you if you listen to the daily stock market reports. However, there is much more to the NASDAQ than the casual observer might be aware. The Internet is an exceptional source for information about the stock market and the NASDAQ. These resources range in scope from brief descriptions and FAQs, to up-to-the-minute quotes, investment guides, and detailed discussions about market trends.

General Information The stock market is a complex and highly dynamic system, comprised of different markets such as the NASDAQ or the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). The NYSE is composed of real people who buy and sell the stocks of many major household companies (e.g. Coca-Cola and General Electric) from a centralized location. The NASDAQ is a non-centralized, electronic marketplace for the stocks of many IT companies such as Microsoft, Google,  and Intel. For a comparison of the NYSE and the NASDAQ, visit www.investopedia.com. HowStuffWorks.com (www.howstuffworks.com/stock.htm) also provides an excellent overview of the stock market, the NASDAQ, and the NYSE. For specific information about NASDAQ such as NASDAQ’s mission, its evolution, and its role, go to either http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASDAQ or invest-faq.com, or the NASDAQ Corporate Fact Sheet 2006.

NASDAQ Resources An enormous variety of resources for NASDAQ can be found on the Web. These resources include market news, market statistics, and price quotes. Visit www.nasdaq.com for NASDAQ quotes, market news, company information, and a live stock ticker. Or visit bigcharts.marketwatch.com to view investment charts and read NASDAQ market research. The Web site www.nasdaqtrader.com specializes in NASDAQ market transactions, status reports, trading information, and live quotes. For simple, straightforward, and current NASDAQ statistics, go to the CNN NASDAQ Web page.

Additional Links There is more to the stock market then just the NYSE and the NASDAQ. Investing is a complex undertaking, but, fortunately, a great deal of advice can be found online. Much of this advice is in the form of investor’s guides. To access numerous investment information tools, including guides, visit  www.investorguide.com. The investment guide found at the Forbes.com Web page also offers information regarding investing in the stock market. Do you have questions about investing in the stock market? If so, visit the Yahoo! Finance Education Center.