As of September 2024, New York ranked as the world's most attractive financial center, earning a score of *** on a comprehensive financial center rating index that considers multiple factors. London followed closely in second place with a rating of ***. What are financial centers? A financial center is a city or region that serves as a strategic hub for the financial industry, bringing together banks, trading firms, stock exchanges, and other financial institutions. These hubs are typically distinguished by strong infrastructure, a stable regulatory and political environment, favorable taxation policies, and ample opportunities for business and trade growth. According to a 2024 survey of financial services professionals, the key factors influencing a financial center's competitiveness were the business environment, human capital, and infrastructure. Financial centers by region According to the Global Financial Centers Index, the most attractive financial hubs in North America are New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Sao Paulo received the highest scores. When financial sector professionals were asked which financial centers were likely to become more significant in the next years, they pointed to Seoul, Singapore, Dubai.
London was the most attractive financial center in Western Europe as of March 2024. According to five broad areas of competitiveness that the ranking was built on (business environment, human capital, infrastructure, financial sector development, and reputation), London received 747 points. Geneva ranked second, with a rating of 738. According to the Global Power City Index (GPCI), London was also the most attractive city worldwide for its economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility. Financial employment in the UK In 2022, the value added in the finance and insurance services sector in the United Kingdom as a percentage of total GDP was one of the largest in Europe. However, total employment in the financial services sector overall decreased since 2008. The mean weekly wage of full-time employees in the financial and insurance sector also dropped and never recovered from a sharp decrease in 2018. Largest European financial institutions In 2022, HSBC topped the list of the largest European banks in terms of total assets. With more than 2.86 trillion euros, the UK-based giant ranked before BNP Paribas, the largest banking institution in France. In the same year, HSBC also performed better than any other European bank in terms of pre-tax profit.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for Brazil (DDAM02BRA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2019 about market cap, Brazil, companies, and stock market.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for New Zealand (DDAM02NZA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2020 about New Zealand, market cap, companies, and stock market.
In 2023, the GDP of the New York metro area amounted to *** trillion chained 2017 U.S. dollars. This is an increase from 2021, when the GDP of the New York metro area was **** trillion dollars. New York CityThe New York metro area’s GDP has steadily risen in the last two decades from *** trillion U.S. dollars in 2001 to **** trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. In September 2023, the New York- Newark-Jersey City area had an unemployment rate of *** percent. It also had the highest population in the country in 2022 at ***** million people. New York City’s economy is one of the greatest in the country and is home to many Fortune 500 companies, including Big Pharma’s Bristol-Myers Squibb. Industries such as media, real estate, fashion and entertainment are some of the most prominent in the area. The finance industry in New York City, also known as Wall Street, is one of the leading financial centers of the world and houses the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. The region is also home to one of the largest trading industries in the country at the Port of New York and New Jersey. This port includes a large estuary, regional airports, and a plethora of rail and road networks. Silicon Alley is one of the country’s largest technology industry hubs, including internet, telecommunications, and biotechnology. In 2022, there were some ****** business establishments in the region that focused on professional, scientific, and technical services.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for Cyprus (DDAM02CYA156NWDB) from 2004 to 2020 about Cyprus, market cap, companies, and stock market.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for India (DDAM02INA156NWDB) from 2001 to 2018 about market cap, companies, India, and stock market.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in BFSI Sector Market Size 2025-2029
The artificial intelligence (AI) in BFSI sector market size is forecast to increase by USD 101.35 billion, at a CAGR of 54.2% between 2024 and 2029.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) market in the BFSI sector is witnessing significant growth, driven by the increasing need for enhanced operational efficiency. AI technologies, such as machine learning and natural language processing, are revolutionizing various BFSI processes, including fraud detection, risk assessment, and customer service. Moreover, the rise of cloud-based AI solutions is enabling smaller financial institutions to adopt these advanced technologies, thereby expanding the market's reach. Deep learning algorithms and machine learning models enhance risk management and algorithmic trading, while AI governance and infrastructure support big data processing and cloud computing.
Ensuring data security and privacy is another significant challenge, given the sensitive nature of financial data. Furthermore, integrating AI systems with existing legacy systems and ensuring seamless data transfer can be a complex process, requiring substantial resources and expertise. Effective management of these challenges will be crucial for companies seeking to capitalize on the market's opportunities and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving BFSI landscape.
What will be the Size of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in BFSI Sector Market during the forecast period?
Request Free Sample
In the BFSI sector, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing business operations and driving significant market trends. AI-powered customer onboarding streamlines the process, reducing costs and enhancing the customer experience. In capital markets, AI-driven customer segmentation and investment optimization provide data-driven insights for personalized financial recommendations. AI-powered financial modeling and portfolio management increase efficiency, while real-time fraud detection and cybersecurity threat prevention ensure security.
Furthermore, AI-powered payment processing and lending leverage data-driven risk management and automated underwriting to provide personalized services and improve overall customer satisfaction. Overall, AI is transforming the BFSI sector by automating processes, enhancing decision making, and providing personalized services, leading to increased efficiency and competitiveness. AI-powered investment banking and regulatory reporting automate complex processes, improving accuracy and reducing manual errors. AI-powered insurance underwriting and claims processing enable faster and more accurate risk scoring and claims management. Enhanced decision making is possible through AI-powered wealth management, trade finance, and lending.
How is this Artificial Intelligence (AI) in BFSI Sector Industry segmented?
The artificial intelligence (AI) in BFSI sector industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.
End-user
Banking
Investment and securities management
Insurance
Solution
Software
Services
Type
Fraud detection and prevention
Customer relationship management
Data analytics and prediction
Anti-money laundering
Others
Geography
North America
US
Canada
Mexico
Europe
France
Germany
Italy
UK
APAC
China
India
Japan
Rest of World (ROW)
By End-user Insights
The banking segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. In the banking sector, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing business operations and customer experiences. Banks are adopting AI strategies to automate decision-making processes, develop cognitive models, and deploy predictive analytics for fraud detection and investment management. Speech recognition technology enables virtual assistants to handle customer queries, while computer vision and image recognition facilitate personalized banking services. AI ethics and data privacy are essential considerations in model development and deployment. Financial inclusion is a priority, with AI-powered solutions offering access to banking services through digital identity verification and open banking. Biometric authentication and blockchain technology ensure data security and anti-money laundering compliance.
Explainable AI (XAI) is crucial for transparency and trust. Digital transformation continues to shape the banking industry, with AI innovation driving customer service, loan origination, financial advisory, and loan origination. Data analytics and predictive analytics enable banks to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions. AI adoption is a critical trend, with ban
https://www.lseg.com/en/policies/website-disclaimerhttps://www.lseg.com/en/policies/website-disclaimer
Read the biggest business and political stories from around the world with Reuters Top News, providing a customized experience in an easy-to-use format.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for Greece (DDAM02GRA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2020 about Greece, market cap, companies, and stock market.
https://www.cognitivemarketresearch.com/privacy-policyhttps://www.cognitivemarketresearch.com/privacy-policy
According to the Cognitive Market Research Report, the Data Center Interconnect Market size in 2023 was XX Million and is projected to have a compounded annual growth rate of XX% from 2024 to 2031. Furthermore, the rising number of data centers and increased use of cloud storage is driving the market expansion. The Datacenter Interconnect market is further segmented by type and end-use. The hardware type and Communications Service Providers dominate their particular segment. Europe accounted for the highest revenue share in the year 2023. The expanding number of data centres, increased investment in cloud technologies, and the development of end-user markets are among the primary reasons driving European data centres' investment in the interconnect industry. Leading market companies are investing extensively in R&D to extend their product lines, which will fuel further growth in the data centre interconnect market. Market participants are also engaged in a variety of strategic initiatives to broaden their worldwide presence, including new product releases, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, increased investments, and collaboration with other organizations.
Market Dynamics of Data Center Interconnect
Key Drivers for Data Center Interconnect Market
Increasing Number of Data Centers to Drive Market Growth for Data Centre Interconnect: Data centres, with house computers for data storage and processing, have expanded fast in response to increasing demand. The United States has more data centres than any other market, as it is home to major data producers and consumers such as Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Data servers and data centres are in high demand due to increased data output and utilization across sectors. According to CloudScene data6 from 110 countries, there were almost 8,000 data centres worldwide. Six nations account for the bulk of data centres which are the United States (33%), the United Kingdom (5.7%), Germany (5.5%), China (5.2%), Canada (3.3%), and the Netherlands (3.4%). OECD member nations account for 77%, while NATO members account for around 64%. Furthermore, data centre service providers are increasing their colocation and cloud offerings. End-user firms (such as telecom and financial organizations) that choose to establish their data centres are primarily responsible for the interconnected data centre sector becoming a worldwide investment hotspot. Due to data centre expansion and spread, enhanced fibre utilization, and low-cost pluggable modules, industries, namely OTT, ISPs, the financial industry, and the public sector, are creating use cases for DCI networks. The proliferation of data centres is also fueling a surge in DCI, which helps businesses to link their data centres, cloud providers, and other data center operators for easier data and resource sharing. Hence with such rise of data centers and the benefits provided drive the market growth.
Increased use of cloud storage and adoption of cloud-based solutions: Cloud-based storage solutions are today's most practical and effective way to keep data online. There are various cloud computing solution vendors. Because this industry is so large, every major technology business now has its own data centre, which dramatically boosts user income. The migration to cloud-based solutions, as well as the increase in organizational data traffic and big data analytics, are expected to drive development in the data centre interconnect market. Backup and storage are becoming increasingly important as the quantity of data created grows.
Data centre interconnect tools to enable communication and information exchange between its linked components, as well as the data centres' internal and external networks. Companies employ these solutions to establish solid connections between data centres and their linked devices, allowing for faster and more secure data transfers. Furthermore, the usability and accessibility of cloud-based apps have contributed to the expansion of the data centre interconnect industry.
For instance, Equinix is a leading global provider of digital infrastructure. They link industry-leading organizations in banking, manufacturing, retail, transportation, government, healthcare, and education in a digital-first world. Business leaders use their trusted worldwide platform to safely and sustainably link the core infrastructur...
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for Spain (DDAM02ESA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2020 about market cap, Spain, companies, and stock market.
Structured Finance Market Size 2025-2029
The structured finance market size is forecast to increase by USD 1,128.5 billion at a CAGR of 11.9% between 2024 and 2029.
The market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for alternative investment products and the rising popularity of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-linked structured finance solutions. This trend is being fueled by investors' growing appetite for yield and risk diversification, as well as their increasing focus on sustainability and ethical investing. Cryptocurrency wallets and tokenized assets enable gamers to monetize their virtual assets and participate in decentralized applications (dApps) built on Ethereum blockchains. However, the market's growth potential is tempered by several challenges. The insurance industry is one sector exploring the potential of DeFi technology providers. Regulatory hurdles, such as the implementation of new rules and guidelines, impact adoption and increase the cost of doing business. Supply chain inconsistencies and the complexity of structured finance products also pose significant challenges, requiring market participants to invest in advanced technology and expertise to manage risk and ensure compliance.
Despite these challenges, there are ample opportunities for companies to capitalize on the market's growth. By focusing on innovation, regulatory compliance, and risk management, structured finance providers can differentiate themselves and capture market share. Additionally, collaboration with technology partners and investment in digital transformation can help streamline operations and improve efficiency, enabling companies to better serve their clients and meet their evolving needs. Overall, the market offers significant opportunities for growth, but also requires a strategic and proactive approach to navigate the complex regulatory landscape and address the challenges of supply chain inconsistencies and product complexity.
What will be the Size of the Structured Finance Market during the forecast period?
Request Free Sample
In the market, stress testing and sensitivity analysis are crucial tools for assessing market liquidity and managing risk in peer-to-peer lending and alternative lending platforms. Investor relations teams employ scenario planning and regulatory arbitrage to optimize yield enhancement and capital preservation in the secondary market. Portfolio managers utilize big data and financial reporting to ensure regulatory capital and credit enhancement, while cloud computing facilitates data security and financial inclusion.
Disruptive technologies, such as digital identity and scenario planning, are transforming the industry, necessitating careful cash flow analysis and waterfall structure adjustments. Regulatory bodies continue to focus on capital adequacy and financial reporting, as market participants navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and seek to minimize tax optimization.
How is this Structured Finance Industry segmented?
The structured finance industry research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.
End-user
Large enterprises
SMEs
Type
CDO
Asset-backed securities
Mortgage-backed securities
Product
Loans
Bonds
Mortgages
Credit card and trade receivables
Others
Geography
North America
US
Canada
Europe
France
Germany
UK
APAC
Australia
China
India
Japan
South Korea
Rest of World (ROW)
By End-user Insights
The large enterprises segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.
In the intricate world of structured finance, major enterprises play a pivotal role. These businesses, with substantial capital resources, engage in complex financing agreements to minimize risk and optimize capital structures. Through structured finance, various financial responsibilities and assets, including bonds, mortgages, and loans, are combined to create customized financial products. These securitized assets are then sold to investors, enabling businesses to raise essential capital. Significant entities in this market include investment banks, hedge funds, insurance companies, pension funds, and real estate firms. They employ financial engineering and artificial intelligence to evaluate risks and opportunities, while regulatory compliance is ensured through stringent due diligence.
Capital markets facilitate the issuance of various securities, such as convertible bonds, equity-linked notes, and structured products. Structured finance also encompasses specialized areas like project finance, mezzanine financing, and distressed debt. Sustainable finance and social bonds have gain
Shell had the highest annual revenue of all companies based in the United Kingdom in 2025, at approximately 284 billion U.S. dollars. BP had the second-highest annual revenue at over 189 billion dollars, followed by HSBC Holdings, which had a revenue of around 142 billion U.S. dollars. In terms of global employee numbers, however, Compass Group had the highest number among UK-based businesses, at approximately half a million in 2024, followed by Tesco at 336,400 and HSBC at almost 211,000. Big Oil, a banking giant, and Britain's top supermarket chain The two companies listed as having the most revenue in the UK this year are also two of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world, alongside Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies. After a huge surge in energy prices in 2022, these companies saw their profits recede slightly in 2023, but clearly remain in strong financial positions as of 2024. HSBC Holdings, meanwhile, was the largest bank in Europe in terms of market capitalization, and was estimated to have the second-highest number of UK-based customers in 2024. The company with the fourth-highest revenue in this year, Tesco has by some distance the largest grocery-market share in Great Britain, a position it has maintained despite growing competition from discounters like Lidl and Aldi. UK economy health check In the first quarter of 2025, the UK economy grew by 0.7 percent, emerging from a brief slowdown in growth towards the end of 2024. Consumer Price inflation, has, however, started to increase, with the inflation rate reaching 3.5 percent in April, the highest rate since January 2024. Furthermore, the UK labor market is showing signs of weakness, with quite a high number of job losses since the start of the year. Alongside these generally negative signs, business confidence in the UK has been falling, with the main concern of UK firms being that of taxation, as of early 2025.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Value Traded of Top 10 Traded Companies to Total Value Traded for Ireland (DDAM01IEA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2018 about Ireland, market cap, companies, and stock market.
Fintech companies headquartered in the ************* and ***** lead the ranking of the largest fintech companies worldwide by market capitalization. As of February 2025, the two largest companies were the payment companies Visa and Mastercard, both headquartered in the United States, with a market capitalization of roughly ***** and ***** billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Shopify ranked third, and Intuit ranked fourth with a market capitalization of *** billion U.S. dollars. European-headquartered fintechs, such as Adyen and Checkout.com, were also among the top fintech companies by market capitalization. United States: the land of unicorns The fintech sector is famous for being filled with successful companies that have turned into unicorns. The term unicorn refers to a privately held startup company that has a valuation that exceeds *** billion U.S. dollars. The United States had not only the largest fintech companies, but also the highest number of fintech unicorns. In addition, ***** out of the *** most valuable fintech unicorns were headquartered in the United States. Mobile payment trends and market penetration Mobile payment solutions are gaining traction globally, with some services showing strong regional preferences. Venmo, a U.S.-based digital wallet owned by PayPal, demonstrated an ***** percent year-on-year growth in total payment volume, reaching ** billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2024. While Venmo's market share is highest in the United States, it has also gained significant traction in Latin America, with nearly **** percent of Venezuelan merchants integrating Venmo into their websites. This trend highlights the growing importance of mobile payment solutions in both developed and emerging markets.
The survey was conducted in Slovakia between December 2018 and March 2020. The survey was part of a joint project of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the World Bank Group (WBG). The objective of the Enterprise Survey is to gain an understanding of what firms experience in the private sector.
As part of its strategic goal of building a climate for investment, job creation, and sustainable growth, the World Bank has promoted improving the business environment as a key strategy for development, which has led to a systematic effort in collecting enterprise data across countries. The Enterprise Surveys (ES) are an ongoing World Bank project in collecting both objective data based on firms’ experiences and enterprises’ perception of the environment in which they operate.
National
Regions covered are selected based on the number of establishments, contribution to employment, and value added. In most cases these regions are metropolitan areas and reflect the largest centers of economic activity in a country.
The primary sampling unit of the study is an establishment. An establishment is a physical location where business is carried out and where industrial operations take place or services are provided. A firm may be composed of one or more establishments. For example, a brewery may have several bottling plants and several establishments for distribution. For the purposes of this survey an establishment must make its own financial decisions and have its own financial statements separate from those of the firm. An establishment must also have its own management and control over its payroll.
The whole population, or universe of the study, is the non-agricultural economy. It comprises: all manufacturing sectors according to the group classification of ISIC Revision 3.1: (group D), construction sector (group F), services sector (groups G and H), and transport, storage, and communications sector (group I). Note that this definition excludes the following sectors: financial intermediation (group J), real estate and renting activities (group K, except sub-sector 72, IT, which was added to the population under study), and all public or utilities-sectors.
Sample survey data [ssd]
The sample for 2019 Slovakia ES was selected using stratified random sampling, following the methodology explained in the Sampling Note.
Three levels of stratification were used in this country: industry, establishment size, and region. The original sample design with specific information of the industries and regions chosen is described in "Slovakia 2019 ES Implementation Report" Appendix C.
Industry stratification was done as follows: two manufacturing industries (food, and other manufacturing) and two services industries (retail and other services). Food (NACE 2 which maps to ISIC Rev. 4.0 codes 10 and 11), Other Manufacturing (ISIC codes 12-14, 15-28, 29-33), Retail (ISIC code 47) and Other Services (ISIC codes 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 61, 62, 79).
For the Slovakia ES, size stratification was defined as follows: small (5 to 19 employees), medium (20 to 99 employees), and large (100 or more employees).
Regional stratification for the Slovakia ES was done across four regions: Bratislava Region, Western Slovakia (Západné Slovensko), Central Slovakia (Stredné Slovensko) and Eastern Slovakia (Východné Slovensko).
Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]
Two questionnaires used to collect the data: (1) Manufacturing, and (2) Services.
The questionnaires have common questions (core module) and respectfully additional manufacturing- and services-specific questions. The eligible manufacturing industries have been surveyed using the Manufacturing questionnaire (includes the core module, plus manufacturing specific questions). Retail firms have been interviewed using the Services questionnaire (includes the core module plus retail specific questions) and the residual eligible services have been covered using the Services questionnaire (includes the core module). Each variation of the questionnaire is identified by the index variable, a0.
Survey non-response must be differentiated from item non-response. The former refers to refusals to participate in the survey altogether whereas the latter refers to the refusals to answer some specific questions. Enterprise Surveys suffer from both problems and different strategies were used to address these issues.
Item non-response was addressed by two strategies:
a- For sensitive questions that may generate negative reactions from the respondent, such as corruption or tax evasion, enumerators were instructed to collect the refusal to respond (-8) as a different option from don’t know (-9).
b- Establishments with incomplete information were re-contacted in order to complete this information, whenever necessary. For this survey there were zero non-responses for the sales variable, d2. Please, note that for this specific question, refusals were not separately identified from “Don’t know” responses.
The number of interviews per contacted establishments was 0.05. This number is the result of two factors: explicit refusals to participate in the survey, as reflected by the rate of rejection (which includes rejections of the screener and the main survey) and the quality of the sample frame, as represented by the presence of ineligible units.
The share of rejections per contact was 53.1%.
As of December 31, 2024, the largest bank in the world in terms of market capitalization was the U.S.-based J*************. The American banking giant's market cap exceeded *** billion U.S. dollars, which was significantly higher than ***************'s, which ranked second with a market cap of approximately ****** billion U.S. dollars. ************** was also the largest bank in the United States in terms of total assets but ranked only fifth globally, behind four Chinese banks. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization, also known as stock market value, is the total value of issued shares of a publicly traded company. It is equal to the share price multiplied by the number of shares outstanding. It applies only to publicly traded companies or companies that have made their stock market debut, also known as an initial public offering, or IPO. Due to the nature of the capitalist system and the practice of buying and selling stocks in public markets, market capitalization can be used as a proxy for the wider public’s opinion of a company’s net worth, making it therefore a determining factor in calculating other theoretical values of companies and their stocks, for example, stock valuation. How were banks affected by the coronavirus outbreak? The outbreak of the coronavirus left no industries unaffected and had a significant impact on the global financial markets. This can be seen in the banking industry, as the market capitalization of the largest banks worldwide dropped markedly between December 2019 and March 2020. For the largest bank, JPMorgan Chase, it was not until February 2021 that the market capitalization saw pre-pandemic figures again.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domainhttps://fred.stlouisfed.org/legal/#copyright-public-domain
Graph and download economic data for Market Capitalization Outside of Top 10 Largest Companies to Total Market Capitalization for Peru (DDAM02PEA156NWDB) from 1998 to 2020 about Peru, market cap, companies, and stock market.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world, with an equity market capitalization of almost ** trillion U.S. dollars as of June 2025. The following three exchanges were the NASDAQ, PINK Exchange, and the Frankfurt Exchange. What is a stock exchange? A stock exchange is a marketplace where stockbrokers, traders, buyers, and sellers can trade in equities products. The largest exchanges have thousands of listed companies. These companies sell shares of their business, giving the general public the opportunity to invest in them. The oldest stock exchange worldwide is the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, founded in the late sixteenth century. Other functions of a stock exchange Since these are publicly traded companies, every firm listed on a stock exchange has had an initial public offering (IPO). The largest IPOs can raise billions of dollars in equity for the firm involved. Related to stock exchanges are derivatives exchanges, where stock options, futures contracts, and other derivatives can be traded.
As of September 2024, New York ranked as the world's most attractive financial center, earning a score of *** on a comprehensive financial center rating index that considers multiple factors. London followed closely in second place with a rating of ***. What are financial centers? A financial center is a city or region that serves as a strategic hub for the financial industry, bringing together banks, trading firms, stock exchanges, and other financial institutions. These hubs are typically distinguished by strong infrastructure, a stable regulatory and political environment, favorable taxation policies, and ample opportunities for business and trade growth. According to a 2024 survey of financial services professionals, the key factors influencing a financial center's competitiveness were the business environment, human capital, and infrastructure. Financial centers by region According to the Global Financial Centers Index, the most attractive financial hubs in North America are New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and Sao Paulo received the highest scores. When financial sector professionals were asked which financial centers were likely to become more significant in the next years, they pointed to Seoul, Singapore, Dubai.