A stock market is a global aggregation of buyers and sellers trading stocks, which represent ownership claims in businesses, encompassing both publicly listed and privately traded securities. This vital financial arena has experienced tremendous growth, with its global market capitalization surging from US$2.5 trillion in 1980 to an impressive US$111 trillion by the end of 2023, predominantly led by the United States.

Central to this market are stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ, which provide organized platforms for trading shares, bonds, and other securities, enhancing liquidity and facilitating price discovery. Trades occur through mechanisms ranging from traditional physical trading floors using "open outcry" to modern electronic networks, enabling a diverse range of participants—from individual investors to large financial institutions—to execute buy and sell orders based on matching bid and ask prices.