The stock market is made up of investors buying, selling, and trading shares of companies, reflecting these firms' collective value and performance.

The stock market as a whole is an exchange mechanism that helps investors buy and sell shares in publicly traded companies. Though you can visit the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and offices of the NASDAQ, these are just components in a broader marketplace. Trades are conducted mostly through electronic means between participants who are remote from each other. The mechanism is an excellent means for businesses to raise capital from investors. Additionally, analysts closely examine its traded prices for signals of economic strength or weakness.