Take a Tour of the New York Stock Exchange
As noted earlier,
finance involves the study of the flow of funds. As you
advance in your study of finance, you will learn about the
important role an organized stock exchange plays in the flow of
funds. The most prominent stock exchange – and one of the
popular symbols of the U.S. financial system – is the New York
Stock Exchange.
A fun way to learn
about the New York Stock Exchange is to take a tour of the floor
of the NYSE; however, it is not feasible to take all of you to New
York for an actual tour. A virtual tour is possible at: http://www.nyse.com.
Once on the NYSE main page, click The Trading Floor,
then read about the “The Auction Market,” the “Trading
Post,” and “How a Stock is Bought and Sold.” You can
also see live pictures at The Trading Floor by selecting
(1) main floor, (2) trading post, and (3) members’ gallery in Choose
a view window.
Market information can be studied by going to http://marketrac.nyse.com/mt/. In Marketrac, click on
Trading Post 9, Panel G, and click on Merck Co., Inc.
(ticker: MRK). What is the most recent stock price for
Merck? What is its Price-to-Earnings ratio? What are
Merck’s 52-week high and low prices? Where is Merck’s
current stock price stand in relation to its 52-week high/low
prices? Does Merck pay cash dividends?
