What Is Nasdaq?

Nasdaq is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities. Its name was originally an acronym for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations"—Nasdaq started as a subsidiary of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Nasdaq was launched after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) urged NASD to automate the market for securities not listed on an exchange. The result was the first electronic trading system. Nasdaq opened for business on Feb. 8, 1971.

Understanding Nasdaq

The term “Nasdaq” is also used to refer to the Nasdaq Composite, an index of more than 3,700 stocks listed on the Nasdaq exchange that includes technology giants Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Google parent Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Tesla Inc. (TSLA).