Nasdaq Global Select Market Composite

The Nasdaq Global Select Market Composite, often referred to as the Nasdaq Composite or the Nasdaq Index, is a stock market index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the Nasdaq stock market. It includes over 3,000 companies across various sectors and is one of the most widely followed indices in the world.

Overview of Nasdaq

The Nasdaq Stock Market is an American stock exchange located at One Liberty Plaza in New York City. It is ranked second on the list of stock exchanges by market capitalization of shares traded, behind only the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Nasdaq was founded by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and its operations began on February 8, 1971. It was the world’s first electronic stock market.

The name “Nasdaq” originally stood for the “National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations.” The Nasdaq Exchange is owned by Nasdaq, Inc., which also owns several other U.S. stock exchanges, including the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.

Nasdaq Composite

The Nasdaq Composite Index is a market capitalization-weighted index of over 3,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange. It is one of the most followed indices in assessing the performance of stocks in the United States alongside the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Unlike other major indices, the Nasdaq Composite is heavily weighted towards technology-oriented companies. As such, it is often used as a proxy for the performance of the technology sector. This can make it particularly volatile as compared to more diversified indices, as technology stocks can be more easily influenced by market sentiment, economic data, and other external factors.

Companies Listed

The Nasdaq Composite Index includes companies from a wide range of industries beyond just technology, including healthcare, consumer services, finance, and industrial. However, some of the largest and most influential companies within the index are major tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet (Google). These companies often have a significant impact on the overall performance of the index due to their substantial market capitalizations.

Criteria for Listing

A company must meet specific eligibility criteria to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. These criteria include financial, liquidity, and corporate governance requirements. Generally, the selection criteria aim to include companies that have high standards of financial health, performance, and corporate governance.

Some of the specific requirements include:

  1. Minimum Bid Price: Companies must have a minimum closing bid price of $4 per share.
  2. Stockholders’ Equity: Companies must have stockholders’ equity of at least $5 million.
  3. Market Value: Companies need to have a minimum market value of publicly held shares.
  4. Corporate Governance: Requirements aligned with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including independent directors on the board.

Trading on Nasdaq

Trading on Nasdaq is characterized by an all-electronic trading environment, which offers several advantages over traditional trading floors, such as speed, efficiency, and the ability to handle a high volume of trades. Nasdaq employs a dealer’s market model where market makers provide liquidity and facilitate the trading process. These market makers use their own capital to buy and sell shares of a particular stock, which helps to ensure market liquidity and tighter bid-ask spreads.

Indices Under Nasdaq

Besides the Nasdaq Composite, there are other notable indices managed by Nasdaq:

  1. Nasdaq-100 Index: This index includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. It is also heavily weighted towards technology companies but excludes financial companies to provide a different sector exposure.
  2. Nasdaq Financial-100 Index: This index includes the 100 largest financial stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, serving as a counterpart to the Nasdaq-100 Index.
  3. Nasdaq Transportation Index: Comprising companies in the transportation sector listed on Nasdaq.

Historical Performance

Historically, the Nasdaq Composite has experienced significant growth, particularly during periods of technological innovation and strong economic performance. The dot-com bubble of the late 1990s saw the index reach unprecedented heights before a significant correction in the early 2000s. Post-2008 financial crisis, the index has seen a robust resurgence, particularly driven by the growth of major technology firms.

Notable Milestones:

Financial Products Tied to Nasdaq

Numerous financial products are tied to the Nasdaq indices, offering investors various ways to gain exposure to Nasdaq-listed companies:

Impact on Global Markets

The performance of the Nasdaq Composite often has a profound influence on global financial markets. Due to the large proportion of technology-focused companies within the index, it can serve as a barometer for investor sentiment towards the tech sector worldwide. Additionally, given its significant capitalization, fluctuations in the Nasdaq Composite can have ripple effects across other markets and indices globally.

Algorithms and High-Frequency Trading on Nasdaq

Algorithmic trading and high-frequency trading (HFT) have grown significantly on the Nasdaq platform. These trading methods use computer algorithms to execute trades rapidly and efficiently, often capitalizing on minute discrepancies in stock prices. The technological infrastructure of Nasdaq supports this type of trading well, offering low-latency and high-speed trading capabilities.

For more detailed information directly from Nasdaq, Inc., visit Nasdaq’s website.