American Stock Exchange, also called the Amex, was one of the largest stock exchanges in the United States. It ranked third in trading volume behind the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ. The American Stock Exchange operated from 1953 until 2008, when it was acquired by the New York Stock Exchange. After the 2008 purchase, the American Stock Exchange was renamed the NYSE Alternext U.S., and then NYSE Amex Equities. In 2012, the exchange became the NYSE MKT LLC. It was renamed NYSE American in 2017. Following the acquisition, the NYSE closed AMEX’s equities trading floor and moved it to the NYSE trading floor. In addition to stocks, the exchange also traded in options—that is, it was also a marketplace for stock-buying rights. It was a leader in exchange-traded funds (ETF’s), publicly traded investments similar to mutual funds.
The American Stock Exchange began in the mid-1800’s as the New York Curb Exchange. This organization was composed of New York City brokers who met outdoors at the curbside to buy and sell stocks. They were called curbstone brokers. In 1921, trading moved indoors to an Art Deco building in Manhattan. The organization changed its name to the American Stock Exchange in 1953, a name it kept until its acquisition in 2008.
See also Stock exchange .
