The Philadelphia exchange was superseded in the early 1800’s by the New York Stock Exchange. The initial New York Stock Exchange was a group of business people who met daily on Wall St to trade their stocks or bonds. This initial trading was all done outside until the Exchange moved indoors in the early 1900’s. There has been a movement away from this traditional formula of trading though. Trading is no longer a Bricks and Mortar industry where you have to be in Wall St. Many people are now engaged in the online buying and selling of stocks.

The way the New York Stock Exchange works could be compared to an auction. If a company is listed on the Stock Exchange, they have a post in Wall St whereby trades are listed and a specialist is employed as an “auctioneer” to oversee the bidding on each trade. This form of trading keeps an accurate balance between supply and demand on the stock market so the price of the share is kept in check.

These days, it is much simpler to get involved in investing in stocks. You no longer worry about engaging a stock broker to act on your behalf, which can be time consuming as there is a lag between you calling your stock broker to take the order and the order taking place. If buying or selling stocks online you can place your order with the click of a mouse. It is also much more convenient in an increasingly frantic world with juggling and competing commitments.

There are many reputable companies through which you can set up an account to engage in buying and selling stocks online. These online companies provide you instantaneous access to a range of services that were previously only available through engaging a traditional stockbroker. Setting up an online account gives you access to a variety of services that you could previously only get by visiting a traditional stock broker, including up to the minute stock quotes, detailed historic performances of individual stocks, as well as detailed information about the companies; director’s, structure etc… One of the most common reasons investors like buying and selling stocks online compared with traditional brokerage is price.

There are much lower brokerage fees for buying and selling stocks online than there are through buying and selling stocks at a traditional brokerage house. This is combined with the immediacy at which you can gather information required in making your stock purchasing decisions when trading online. Many investors also like the independence associated with buying and selling stocks online. Many traditional brokerage houses would try and influence your decisions when buying and selling stocks, but an online account means all the decisions you make are fully your own.

As mentioned earlier, online brokerage sites are not just about buying and selling stocks online. They are also contain a wealth of information which can help influence your buying and selling decisions, by giving you access to extensive information about particular stocks. Many online brokerage sites will also provide courses designed to help you learn the tips and tricks of trading online. You can also get immediate access to your portfolio, instead of having to find all your stock certificates or calling your brokerage house.

In our globalised and interconnected society and economy, the reason that the economy has continued to grow is its ability to keep pace with increases in technology. The ability to buy and sell stocks online becomes a reflection of the economy adapting to meet the abilities of new technology head on. The ability of an investor to log in to their portfolio, no matter where they are in the world at that particular time, to buy and sell shares online gives them the opportunity to take a greater role in securing their own financial future.