Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Nasdaq is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities, as well as the benchmark index for U.S. technology stocks. It operates 24/7 and provides critical infrastructure for executing trades.
Financial instruments that represent an ownership position in a publicly-traded corporation (stock), a creditor relationship with a governmental body or a corporation (bond), or rights to ownership as represented by an option.
Index: A statistical measure of change in an economy or a securities market, with the Nasdaq Composite being one prominent example that reflects the performance of more than 3,000 stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange.
Electronic Trading Platform: A computer system that facilitates trading of financial products such as stocks and bonds; Nasdaq is one of the pioneers in utilizing this technology to execute trades