The New York Stock Exchange is the most important stock exchange in the world. It is located in the business district of New York, on Wall Street, the street that also gives it its nickname.
Tourists can visit this feverish room where traders still practice trading by scanning huge electronic panels on which numbers change value every second.
The creation of the New York Stock Exchange dates back to May 17, 1792, the day when 24 stockbrokers joined forces and signed the Buttonwood Agreement. They gathered at the foot of a plane tree in front of Wall Street number 68 where the New York Stock Exchange is still located.
On March 8, 1817, this organization was renamed the “New York Stock & Exchange Board” before changing its name one last time, in 1863, to the “New York Stock Exchange” (NYSE).
The history of Wall Street
The history of the New York Stock Exchange is intimately linked to American history. These two elements seem to be inseparable as what affects one also has consequences on the other. Thus, the stock exchange closed its doors in July 1914, when the First World War broke out.
It was not until November 28 of the same year that Wall Street reopened, in particular, to sell Treasury bills, the money from which would be used to support the war effort. Other important dates mark the activity of the stock market.
Between October 24 and 29, 1929, the largest financial crash in history occurred there; this event, which led to the bankruptcy of millions of Americans, is known as the 1929 crisis or Black Thursday. On October 19, 1987, the New York Stock Exchange plummeted and the Dow Jones, its benchmark index, lost more than 22% of its value in a single session.
Ten years later, on October 27, 1997, the session was suspended after a 554-point drop in the index. Finally, more recently, the stock market closed its doors for several days. It was between September 11 and 17, 2001, following the attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Since 2006, the New York Stock Exchange has merged its activities with Euronext. It has thus joined the Paris, Amsterdam, and London stock exchanges.
Admission fee: free.
