Stock ticker is an electronic display that shows purchases and sales of stock. It usually appears on a video screen. The display of each stock transaction begins with a stock symbol. This symbol consists of one or more letters that represent the name of the corporation issuing the stock. The transaction display also includes the number of shares involved and the price at which they were bought or sold.
Stockbrokers throughout the United States relay orders to a stock exchange by computer. At the exchange, another broker buys or sells the stock. An exchange reporter puts the details of the transaction into one of the many computers that are located on the trading floor. A vast telecommunications network then carries the information to video screens and other devices across the country.
The New York Stock Exchange introduced an early form of stock ticker in 1867. These tickers were teletype machines that recorded stock transactions on a 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) wide paper called ticker tape. Since the early 1900’s, these machines have been replaced by electronic display devices. One of the most common of the electronic devices is a video screen called a quote machine. This device may also display such information as historical trading summaries, graphs, and related news items.
