Amsterdam Stock Exchange, Stock exchange in Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is a central trading venue where securities change hands through banks and licensed brokers in the Netherlands and beyond. Operations run through electronic systems that connect buyers and sellers in real time, setting prices by supply and demand.
The exchange emerged in 1602 when the Dutch East India Company issued shares to the public, creating the first open capital market. This move introduced a new financial model to the world, allowing companies to raise funds through many investors.
The Exchange Drumming ceremony takes place each year, when children parade through the city with drums in memory of a 17th-century event. This ritual connects commerce and community in a form that visitors can witness during special occasions.
Access to trading runs through licensed financial institutions, as individuals cannot buy or sell directly on the exchange. Those wishing to purchase shares contact a bank or broker, who handles the transaction through the platform.
Trading initially happened without a fixed location, with merchants meeting on the bridge and later in coffeehouses before an official building appeared. Price quotations were recorded by hand, with bookkeepers entering orders in leather volumes and calling out rates across the room.
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