Stock York Exchange Shares Part Company Profiles Small

The New York Stock Exchange in New York City is the center of the U.S. stock market. This stock exchange is also called "Wall Street" since the building is located on this street. Wall Street is famous for having very wealthy businesspeople and a fast pace of life. So what happens there?

Stocks and shares are the main currency of the New York Stock Exchange. "Stock" is the capital, or money, made by a corporation or company. A "share" is a small part of that stock. "Shareholders" own shares of a company's stock, and therefore, they own a part of the company, either a small part (only a few shares) or a large part (many shares).

The purpose of the stock exchange is to provide a place where buyers and sellers of shares can meet and buy or sell their shares in an auction. An auction is where the something will be sold to the person offering the most money. The New York Stock Exchange is so fast-paced, or moves so quickly, because everyone there is competing with each other to get the best price on shares.