Dubai Stock Exchange (DIFX)

About the Dubai Stock Exchange :

The Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) owned by the sole shareholder Dubai International Financial Centre Authority (DIFC), launched Dubai securities trading market in September 2005. As the DIFX is situated in the newly established financial free zone DIFC, all the operations of the Exchange together with all other financial activities in the DIFC are regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

The DIFX is a fast-growing company seeking high goals. Although it started operating with four members on the board, the Exchange already has 13 member banks. It is expecting to have up to 40 members by the 2006 year-end. Also the governance of the DIFX is seeking to list 10 to 15 IPOs and to gain the market capitalization of minimum US$ 50 million by the end of 2006.

The Dubai Stock Exchange provides its members with one-stop solution to trading, clearing, and settlement through the fully electronic AtosEuronext Market Solutions NSC system. The Exchange does not require members to use a specific trading terminal, as a technical connection is offered.

The trading on the DIFX is operated through an anonymous hybrid system that combines order-driven systems with market making. Each member trading on the Dubai International Financial Exchange platform must either be a Clearing member of the DIFX or have relationship with a DIFX Clearing Member firm.

It is the first exchange in its region that has been created to list securities from many different countries. The Dubai Stock Exchange provides an opportunity for international investors to invest in the Middle East, North and South Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, and the Indian sub continent. To attract foreign investment, the DIFX's preferred trading currency is US dollar. In addition, the Dubai International Financial Exchange also has the capability to trade in Euros and Sterling on request. Unlike other independent exchanges in the region, the DIFX does not have limits on foreign ownership. The Dubai International Financial Exchange intends to bridge the gap between the Middle East markets and the markets in London, Singapore and Hong Kong. 

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)

About the Bombay Stock Exchange :

As the first stock exchange in India, the Bombay Stock Exchange is considered to have played a very important role in the development of the country's capital markets. The Bombay Stock Exchange is the largest of 22 exchanges in India, with over 6,000 listed companies. It is also the fifth largest exchange in the world, with market capitalization of $466 billion.

The Bombay Stock Exchange uses the BSE Sensex, an index of 30 large, developed BSE stocks. This index gives a measure of the overall performance of the Bombay Stock Exchange, and is closely followed around the world. Based on the Sensex, the BSE equity market has grown significantly since 1990.

In addition to individual stocks, the BSE also has a market in derivatives, which was the first to be established in India. Listed derivatives on the exchange include stock futures and options, index futures and options, and weekly options.

The Bombay Stock Exchange is also actively involved with the development of the retail debt market. The debt market in India is considered extremely important, as the country continues to develop and depends on this type of investment for growth. Until recently, the debt market in India was limited to a wholesale market, with banks and financial institutions as the only participants. The Bombay Stock Exchange believes that a retail market will bring great opportunities to individual investors through better diversification.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)

About the Chicago Mercantile Exchange :

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is the United States. largest futures exchange, as well as the second largest in the world. It trades futures and options on interest rates, stock indexes, foreign currencies, and agricultural commodities. In 2004, the exchange traded 805.3 million contracts with a value of $463.4 trillion.

The CME is one of the few exchanges that still utilize the open outcry system of trading. Under this system, the traders all gather on the trading floor and call out their bids and offers. Different colored jackets are used to distinguish the various participants, and hand signals are also often used, as the shouting can make it hard to hear. The exchange has two main trading floors, one for the foreign currency and interest rate derivatives and another for the agricultural commodities and stock index derivatives. The CME also utilizes electronic trading, using GLOBEX2. This system allows for 24 hour trading while also allowing traders who are not physically located on the Chicago trading floor to participate.

Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE)

About the Karachi Stock Exchange :

Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) is the biggest and most liquid exchange in Pakistan with the average daily turnover of 525.15 million shares and market capitalization of US $ 54.28 billion. The international magazine 'Business Week' announced the KSE as the best performing world stock market in 2002. Since then the KSE continuously maintains the reputation as one of the best performing markets in the world.

Since 1991, foreign investors have an equal opportunity together with local investors to operate in the secondary capital market on the Karachi Stock Exchange. The establishment of the new policy for foreign investors and initiated privatization in Pakistan has accelerated the development of the KSE, which had even 663 companies listed in 2006. In addition, companies have a choice to be listed on one of the two markets - the ready market and the over-the-counter (OTC) market, which has lesser listing requirements. While the ready market requires listing companies to have minimum paid up capital of Rs 200 million (about UK � 1.8 m), the companies with minimum of Rs 100 million can be listed on the OTC market.

The Karachi Stock Exchange trades the KSE-100 Index. It is a highly-diversified index of 100 largest capitalization companies' stocks from all sectors of Pakistan economy. A constantly revised index is a good indicator of the overall Exchange performance over a period of time. In 2005, 88% of the KSE total market capitalization was represented by the KSE-100 Index.

The membership in the Karachi Stock Exchange is limited. Only 200 individual and corporate entities can register as members in the KSE. In 2005, 162 members traded actively on the Exchange. In addition, foreign corporate entities may also become the members of the KSE with the condition that the nominee member of the company is a citizen of Pakistan.

Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE)

About the Hong Kong Stock Exchange :

Although the trade of securities began in the middle of the 19th c., Hong Kong Stock Exchange was established at the end of the century. Today with its total securities market capitalization of a record sum of HK$ 8,260.3 billion (US$ 1,063.9 trillion), the HKSE ranks 8th place by market capitalization in the world.

The HKSE has 4338 stocks listed on the exchange with the market turnover of HK$4,520.4 billion (US$ 0,582.2 trillion) in 2005. The turnover increased by 14% from the previous year. Local institutional and retail investors are the main contributors of market turnover (56%). The exchange also has a leading derivatives market in the Asia-Pacific region with the daily turnover of 103.332 contracts per day that has increased by even 30% from 2004.

In 2000, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited together with Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited merged under a single exchange HKEx. HKEx listed its shares on the stock exchange in June 2000.

The trading system of the Exchange is an order-driven system. HKEx securities market operates on two trading platforms - the Main Board and the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM). Each trading platform has a different set of requirements. The Main Board is the market for capital growth by established companies that meet profit requirements. Meanwhile, the Growth Enterprise Market provides a fund raising venue for 'high growth, high risk' companies. It promotes the development of technology industries and venture capital investments.

In October 2000, HKEx developed a trading system AMS/3 consisting of four components - Trading Terminal, Multi-Workstation System ('MWS'), Broker Supplied System ('BSS'), and Order Routing System ('ORS') that investors can choose among. The ORS allows investors to place requests electronically. In addition to trading through terminals in the Trading Hall, exchange participants are enabled to trade from their offices through installed off-floor terminals.

The HKSE has the leading index the Hang Seng for shares traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that was introduced in 1969. The Hang Seng index consisting of the 33 largest companies traded on the exchange represent around 70% of the value of all stocks traded on the HKSE. 

London Stock Exchange (LSE)

About the London Stock Exchange :

The London Stock Exchange is the most important exchange in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It lists over 3,000 companies and with 350 of the companies coming from 50 different countries, the LSE is the most international of all exchanges.

The London Stock Exchange is comprised of two different stock markets: the Main Market and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The Main Market is solely for established companies with high performance, and the listing requirements are strict. Approximately 1,800 of the LSE's company listings trade on the Main Market, and the total market capitalization is over 3,500 billion. The Alternative Investment Market on the other hand trades small-caps, or new enterprises with high growth potential. Over 1,060 companies list on this market, with a total capitalization of 37 billion.

The LSE is completely electronic, but different shares are traded on different systems. Highly liquid shares are traded using the SETS automated system on an order driven basis. This means that when a buy and sell price match, an order is automatically executed. For securities that trade less regularly, the London Stock Exchange implements the SEAQ system, where market makers keep the shares liquid. These market makers are required to hold shares of a specific company and set the bid and ask prices, ensuring that there is always a market for the stock.

The LSE also has a new and growing exchange for equity derivatives called EDX London, created in 2003. In 2004, EDX traded an average of 382,599 contracts per day. Its aim is to become the leading derivatives market in the world.

American Stock Exchange (AMEX)

About the American Stock Exchange :

The American Stock Exchange is the third largest stock exchange in the U.S. after the NYSE and the NASDAQ, handling approximately 10% of American trades. The American Stock Exchange lists companies from all different industries and of all different sizes. However, the exchange is known as having the least strict listing requirements among the three top American exchanges, which results in many small companies joining the exchange. Once a major competitor of the NYSE, the American Stock Exchange is now mostly known for trading in small cap stocks, options, and exchange traded funds. The exchange is owned by NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers), but operated as a separate exchange from the NASDAQ.

As an auction market, the AMEX conducts its business on a trading floor through brokers and specialists. Each security traded on the exchange is handled by a specialist, whose job it is to bring buyers and sellers together, and ensure that a fair market price is obtained for both parties. It is also a specialist's job to ensure that a market remains liquid, by buying or selling from their own account if no one else will. Brokers move around the floor, bringing buy and sell orders to the different specialists on behalf of their clients.

The AMEX options exchange is one of the largest in the world, with over 1,700 options traded on stocks, American Depository Receipts, indexes, exchange traded funds, and HOLDRS. In addition, the AMEX has an extensive market for exchange traded funds as they were the first to trade in this market. The AMEX has a listing of over 140 ETFs on general stock markets, industries, corporate bond indexes and more.