History of the American Stock Exchange, the nation's second largest organized securities complex, from its inception in 1921 to 1971.

This account of the sophisticated financial hub that was 17th-century Amsterdam “does a fine job of bringing history to life” (Library Journal). The launch of the Dutch East India Company in 1602 initiated Amsterdam’s transformation from a regional market town into a dominant financial center. The Company introduced easily transferable shares, and within days buyers had begun to trade them. Soon the public was engaging in a variety of complex transactions, including forwards, futures, options, and bear raids, and by 1680 the techniques deployed in the Amsterdam market were as sophisticated as any we practice today. Lodewijk Petram’s award-winning history demystifies financial instruments by linking today’s products to yesterday’s innovations, tying the market’s operation to the behavior of individuals and the workings of the world around them. Traveling back in time, Petram visits the harbor and other places where merchants met to strike deals. He bears witness to the goings-on at a notary’s office and sits in on the consequential proceedings of a courtroom. He describes in detail the main players, investors, shady characters, speculators, and domestic servants and other ordinary folk, who all played a role in the development of the market and its crises. His history clarifies concerns that investors still struggle with today—such as fraud, the value of information, trust and the place of honor, managing diverging expectations, and balancing risk—and does so in a way that is vivid, relatable, and critical to understanding our contemporary world.

Research and Information Guides in Business, Industry, and Economic Institutions series will bridge the gap between classical forms of literature and new alternative formats. Each guide will be devoted to an industry, a profession, a managerial process, or a field of study. This guide to information resources on the American Stock Exchange is not intended to be a detailed history of the Amex. It does cover the literature of the Exchange from 1900 through 1993. Research methodology included searching of major cataloging systems, reviewing of print and electronic indexes, and summarizing of publications in the American Stock Exchange library. All publications identified were read and summarized.

First published in 1991, Stuart Bruchey’s study is a historical tribute to the financial innovation of the American Stock Exchange. He chronicles the heyday of Wall Street – from events leading to the Great Depression, through the New Deal and World War II, to the electronic era, the crash of’87, and the new realities and global opportunities of the 1990s. We observe with fascination the transformation of the relocated outdoor Curb market on Broad Street to its cavernous indoor trading facility on Trinity Place, where it’s been ever since – the first trading "posts" topped with light fixtures reminiscent of the outdoor lampposts they replaced. Bruchey relives for us the introduction of the first CRT terminals on the trading floor and the gradual, yet inevitable, influence of technology on the trading process. His study of modernization brings us right into the world of equity options, derivatives and other creative products introduced in latter part of the twentieth century – investment vehicles designed to serve an increasingly sophisticated and demanding marketplace of investors.

With this valuable text securities lawyers from the world's major trading nations offer valuable insights into the workings and legal underpinnings of global securities markets. They examine listing requirements for various stock exchanges and markets, the globalization of mutual funds, the impact of offshore funds, Internet and public offerings, planning and distribution of private securities, requirements for public offerings, disclosure and compliance requirements across international markets, and a great deal more. Published under the Transnational Publishers imprint.

The Annual report of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is published with a view to protecting investors and maintaining the integrity of the securities markets.