Did you know that the term stock market originated from the practice of stockbrokers conducting their business under a tree in 1700s Amsterdam? The brokers would trade stocks of the Dutch East India Company, making it one of the earliest recorded instances of stock trading. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world, with a market capitalization of over $30 trillion. It was founded in 1792 when 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. The first publicly traded company in the world was the Dutch East India Company, which issued stocks and bonds to the general public in the early 1600s. The company's success and profitability made it a pioneer in modern corporate finance. The concept of a stock market index was introduced by Charles Dow in 1884 when he created the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The DJIA is still used today as a benchmark for tracking the performance of the stock market. Stock prices are determined by supply and demand in the market. When more people want to buy a stock (demand), the price goes up. Conversely, when more people want to sell a stock (supply), the price goes down. Investors use various strategies, such as fundamental analysis and technical analysis, to evaluate stocks and make informed investment decisions. These strategies help investors assess the value and potential growth of a company's stock before buying or selling it.