In 2025, stock markets in the United States accounted for roughly ** percent of world stocks. The next largest country by stock market share was China, followed by the European Union as a whole. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ are the largest stock exchange operators worldwide. What is a stock exchange? The first modern publicly traded company was the Dutch East Industry Company, which sold shares to the general public to fund expeditions to Asia. Since then, groups of companies have formed exchanges in which brokers and dealers can come together and make transactions in one space. Stock market indices group companies trading on a given exchange, giving an idea of how they evolve in real time. Appeal of stock ownership Over half of adults in the United States are investing money in the stock market. Stocks are an attractive investment because the possible return is higher than offered by other financial instruments.

Euro Area's main stock market index, the EU50, fell to 5350 points on July 14, 2025, losing 0.62% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 0.19% and is up 7.36% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from Euro Area. Euro Area Stock Market Index (EU50) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

The value of the DJIA index amounted to ********* at the end of March 2025, up from ********* at the end of March 2020. Global panic about the coronavirus epidemic caused the drop in March 2020, which was the worst drop since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Dow Jones Industrial Average index – additional information The Dow Jones Industrial Average index is a price-weighted average of 30 of the largest American publicly traded companies on New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, and includes companies like Goldman Sachs, IBM and Walt Disney. This index is considered to be a barometer of the state of the American economy. DJIA index was created in 1986 by Charles Dow. Along with the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500 indices, it is amongst the most well-known and used stock indexes in the world. The year that the 2018 financial crisis unfolded was one of the worst years of the Dow. It was also in 2008 that some of the largest ever recorded losses of the Dow Jones Index based on single-day points were registered. On September 29, 2008, for instance, the Dow had a loss of ****** points, one of the largest single-day losses of all times. The best years in the history of the index still are 1915, when the index value increased by ***** percent in one year, and 1933, year when the index registered a growth of ***** percent.

Using the MSCI emerging markets index, stock markets in emerging economies performed above those of developed economies in 2020, with an annual return of 18.31 percent. This compares to a 2020 annual return of 15.9 percent for the MSCI World Index, which tracks the stock markets of 23 developed economies.

China's main stock market index, the SHANGHAI, rose to 3520 points on July 14, 2025, gaining 0.27% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 3.86% and is up 18.35% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from China. China Shanghai Composite Stock Market Index - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

View data of the S&P 500, an index of the stocks of 500 leading companies in the US economy, which provides a gauge of the U.S. equity market.

The statistic shows the development of the MSCI World USD Index from 1986 to 2024. The 2024 year-end value of the MSCI World USD index amounted to ******** points. MSCI World USD index – additional information The MSCI World Index, developed by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), is one of the most important stock indices. It includes stocks from developed countries all over the world and is regarded as benchmark of global stock market. According to MSCI, this index covers about ** percent of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country. As seen on the statistics above, in 2024, MSCI World USD index reported its highest value since 1986 amounting, a threefold increase from the figure recorded in 2013, when the year-end value of the MSCI World index was equal to ********. Along with the S&P Global Broad Market, the MSCI World is one of the most important global stock market performance indexes. Aside of including markets around the globe, these two indexes are global in a sense that they disregard where the companies are domiciled or traded, whereas other important indexes such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Japanese index Nikkei 225, Wilshire 5000, the NASDAQ 100 index, have different approaches.

In this article, the author shows that, if stock volatility follows an AR(1) process, stock market returns relate positively to past volatility but relate negatively to contemporaneous volatility in Merton's (1973) Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model. The model helps explain the recent finding that stock market volatility drives out returns in forecasting real gross domestic product growth because the predictive power of returns is hampered by their positive correlation with past volatility. If the positive relation between returns and past volatility is controlled for, however, the author finds that volatility provides no additional information beyond returns in forecasting output in the post-World War II sample.

Key information about Russia RTS

• Russia RTS closed at 1,142.4 points in Feb 2025, compared with 949.5 points at the previous month end
• Russia Equity Market Index: Month End: RTS data is updated monthly, available from Sep 1995 to Feb 2025, with an average number of 1,055.6 points
• The data reached an all-time high of 2,459.9 points in May 2008 and a record low of 43.8 points in Sep 1998

France's main stock market index, the FR40, fell to 7829 points on July 11, 2025, losing 0.92% from the previous session. Over the past month, the index has climbed 0.83% and is up 1.36% compared to the same time last year, according to trading on a contract for difference (CFD) that tracks this benchmark index from France. France Stock Market Index (FR40) - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

While the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused all major stock market indices to fall sharply in March 2020, both the extent of the decline at this time, and the shape of the subsequent recovery, have varied greatly. For example, on March 15, 2020, major European markets and traditional stocks in the United States had shed around 40 percent of their value compared to January 5, 2020. However, Asian markets and the NASDAQ Composite Index only shed around 20 to 25 percent of their value. A similar story can be seen with the post-coronavirus recovery. As of November 14, 2021 the NASDAQ composite index value was around 65 percent higher than in January 2020, while most other markets were only between 20 and 40 percent higher.

Why did the NASDAQ recover the quickest?

Based in New York City, the NASDAQ is famously considered a proxy for the technology industry as many of the world’s largest technology industries choose to list there. And it just so happens that technology was the sector to perform the best during the coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, many of the largest companies who benefitted the most from the pandemic such as Amazon, PayPal and Netflix, are listed on the NADSAQ, helping it to recover the fastest of the major stock exchanges worldwide.

Which markets suffered the most?

The energy sector was the worst hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, oil companies share prices suffered large declines over 2020 as demand for oil plummeted while workers found themselves no longer needing to commute, and the tourism industry ground to a halt. In addition, overall share prices in two major stock exchanges – the London Stock Exchange (as represented by the FTSE 100 index) and Hong Kong (as represented by the Hang Seng index) – have notably recovered slower than other major exchanges. However, in both these, the underlying issue behind the slower recovery likely has more to do with political events unrelated to the coronavirus than it does with the pandemic – namely Brexit and general political unrest, respectively.

Stock Fund Sales Market Outlook

The global stock fund sales market is projected to witness substantial growth, expanding from an estimated USD 20 trillion in 2023 to approximately USD 35 trillion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%. This robust market size increase is driven by several key factors, including rising disposable incomes, growing awareness of investment opportunities, and the increasing popularity of diversified investment portfolios. The growth in the stock fund sales market is underpinned by the increasing number of retail and institutional investors seeking to capitalize on the benefits of stock funds as a vehicle for wealth accumulation and risk management.

A significant growth factor in the stock fund sales market is the proliferation of financial literacy programs and investment education. As governments and financial institutions worldwide invest in educating the masses about the importance of saving and investing, more individuals are becoming aware of stock funds as a viable and lucrative investment option. This educational push has led to an upsurge in the number of retail investors entering the market, thereby driving demand for various types of stock funds. Additionally, the ease of access to information through the internet and social media platforms has further facilitated this growth, enabling potential investors to make more informed decisions.

Another driving factor is the technological advancements in financial services, especially in the realm of online trading and investment platforms. The advent of robo-advisors and automated trading systems has made it easier for individuals to invest in stock funds with little to no manual intervention. These platforms provide personalized investment advice and portfolio management services, which have democratized access to sophisticated investment strategies previously available only to high-net-worth individuals. The convenience, lower fees, and increased transparency offered by these technologies have significantly contributed to the growth of the stock fund sales market.

Moreover, the increasing globalization of financial markets has played a crucial role in the expansion of the stock fund sales market. With the removal of barriers to capital flows across borders, investors now have greater access to international stock funds. This trend has been particularly pronounced in emerging markets, where economic growth rates are higher, and investment opportunities are abundant. As a result, there has been a notable increase in the demand for global and regional stock funds, further propelling market growth. Additionally, regulatory reforms in various countries aimed at protecting investors and ensuring market stability have boosted investor confidence, thereby encouraging more investment in stock funds.

From a regional perspective, North America continues to dominate the stock fund sales market, accounting for a significant share of the global market. The region's well-developed financial infrastructure, high levels of disposable income, and a strong culture of investment are key factors driving this dominance. Additionally, the presence of major financial institutions and asset management companies in North America supports the growth of the stock fund market. However, the Asia Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, driven by rapid economic development, increasing financial literacy, and a burgeoning middle class with rising disposable incomes. The growing penetration of digital financial services in countries such as China and India is also a significant contributor to the region's growth.

Fund Type Analysis

The stock fund sales market can be segmented by fund type, including equity funds, bond funds, money market funds, hybrid funds, and others. Equity funds are among the most popular types of stock funds, attracting a significant portion of investor capital. These funds invest primarily in stocks and aim to generate high returns by capitalizing on the growth potential of companies. The appeal of equity funds lies in their potential for higher returns compared to other types of investments, albeit with a higher level of risk. Factors such as market volatility, economic conditions, and company performance play crucial roles in determining the success of equity funds. The increasing awareness of the long-term benefits of equity investments is driving the demand for these funds.

Bond funds, which invest in various types of bonds, are another important segment within the stock fund sales market. These funds are generally considered safer t

Prices for Global Equity Index including live quotes, historical charts and news. Global Equity Index was last updated by Trading Economics this July 13 of 2025.

The average for 2021 based on 87 countries was 32.21 percent. The highest value was in Venezuela: 991.39 percent and the lowest value was in Botswana: -6.38 percent. The indicator is available from 1984 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Explore the Middle East and Africa Smartwatch Market size at USD 1.5 billion in 2023, featuring market performance, growth analysis, and industry leaders.

This dataset provides historical stock market performance data for specific companies. It enables users to analyze and understand the past trends and fluctuations in stock prices over time. This information can be utilized for various purposes such as investment analysis, financial research, and market trend forecasting.

The NYSE International 100 Index tracks the performance of the 100 largest non-U.S. stocks that are traded on the New York Stock Exchange by market capitalization. The value of the index amounted to 7,851.54 at the end of February 2025, up more than 3,400 points from its sharp drop in March 2020 due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This dataset provides historical stock market performance data for specific companies. It enables users to analyze and understand the past trends and fluctuations in stock prices over time. This information can be utilized for various purposes such as investment analysis, financial research, and market trend forecasting.

Interactive chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stock market index for the last 100 years. Historical data is inflation-adjusted using the headline CPI and each data point represents the month-end closing value. The current month is updated on an hourly basis with today's latest value.

This data file contains the annual weights and returns of the global invested multi-asset market portfolio of Doeswijk, Lam, and Swinkels (2019) "Historical returns of the market portfolio" Review of Asset Pricing Studies