History of Nasdaq in Timeline

The Nasdaq Stock Market is a major American stock exchange located in New York City. As the second-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, it's a prominent venue for trading stocks, particularly in the technology sector. Nasdaq distinguishes itself as the first fully electronic stock market, and is one of the most active exchanges in the U.S. by trading volume.

February 8, 1971: Nasdaq Stock Market Commences Operations

On February 8, 1971, the Nasdaq Stock Market started its operations as the world's first fully electronic stock market. Initially, it functioned as a quotation system, rather than a trading platform.

1981: Nasdaq Traded 37% of U.S. Securities Markets' Total Shares

In 1981, Nasdaq traded 37% of the total of 21 billion shares in the U.S. securities markets.

1987: Nasdaq exchange commonly referred to as OTC

As late as 1987, the Nasdaq exchange was still commonly referred to as "OTC" in media reports and also in the monthly Stock Guides issued by Standard & Poor's Corporation.

1991: Nasdaq Accounted for Approximately 46% of U.S. Securities Trading Volume

By 1991, Nasdaq accounted for approximately 46% of the total U.S. securities trading volume.

1992: Nasdaq Joined with the London Stock Exchange

In 1992, the Nasdaq Stock Market joined with the London Stock Exchange to create the first intercontinental linkage of capital markets.

1996: SEC Report Alleges Price Fixing by Nasdaq Market Makers

In 1996, the SEC issued a report alleging that Nasdaq market makers fixed prices by avoiding "odd-eighths" quotes to artificially widen spreads, which led to new rules for order handling on Nasdaq.

1998: Nasdaq Became First U.S. Stock Market to Trade Online

In 1998, Nasdaq became the first stock market in the United States to trade online, adopting the slogan "the stock market for the next hundred years".

2000: FINRA Began Selling Its Stake in Nasdaq

In 2000, FINRA began selling its stake in the Nasdaq, with the sales continuing into 2001.

2001: FINRA Continued Selling Its Stake in Nasdaq

In 2001, FINRA continued selling its stake in the Nasdaq, as part of a series of sales that began in 2000.

2001: Nasdaq Purchased EASDAQ

In 2001, Nasdaq purchased the European Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (EASDAQ), which was founded as a European equivalent to the Nasdaq Stock Market, and it became Nasdaq Europe.

July 2, 2002: Nasdaq, Inc. Became a Public Company

On July 2, 2002, Nasdaq, Inc. became a public company through an initial public offering (IPO), listing its own shares on the exchange under the ticker symbol NDAQ.

2003: Nasdaq Europe Operations Shut Down

In 2003, Nasdaq Europe's operations were shut down due to the burst of the dot-com bubble.

December 2005: Nasdaq Acquired Instinet

In December 2005, Nasdaq acquired Instinet for $1.9 billion. Nasdaq retained the Inet ECN and later sold the agency brokerage business to Silver Lake Partners and Instinet management.

2006: Nasdaq Stock Market Changed to a Licensed National Securities Exchange

In 2006, the Nasdaq Stock Market's status changed from a stock market to a licensed national securities exchange.

November 7, 2007: Nasdaq Acquired the Philadelphia Stock Exchange

On November 7, 2007, Nasdaq acquired the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, which is the oldest stock exchange in the United States.

2007: Nasdaq Europe Revived as Equiduct

In 2007, Nasdaq Europe was revived, first as Equiduct, and was later acquired by Börse Berlin that same year.

2007: Nasdaq Merged with OMX and Became Nasdaq OMX Group

In 2007, Nasdaq merged with OMX, a leading exchange operator in the Nordic countries. This merger expanded Nasdaq's global presence, and the company changed its name to the Nasdaq OMX Group.

2011: Nasdaq Launched a Rival Bid for NYSE Euronext

In 2011, after an announced merger of NYSE Euronext with Deutsche Börse, Nasdaq partnered with Intercontinental Exchange to launch a rival bid, but the bid was withdrawn due to regulatory concerns.

June 18, 2012: Nasdaq OMX Became a Founding Member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative

On June 18, 2012, Nasdaq OMX became a founding member of the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

November 2016: Adena Friedman Promoted to CEO of Nasdaq

In November 2016, Adena Friedman was promoted to chief executive officer of Nasdaq, becoming the first woman to serve as CEO of a major U.S. exchange in the United States.

2016: Listings-Related Activities Accounted for $272 Million in Nasdaq's Revenue

In 2016, listings-related activities contributed $272 million to Nasdaq's overall revenue.

October 2018: SEC Blocked NYSE and Nasdaq from Raising Certain Market-Data Prices

In October 2018, the SEC blocked both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq from increasing specific market-data prices, marking the first instance of the commission rejecting price hikes for the exchanges' stock market data feeds.

December 2020: Nasdaq to Remove Shares of Four Chinese Companies from Indexes

In December 2020, Nasdaq announced its decision to remove shares of four Chinese companies from the indexes it maintains, in accordance with Executive Order 13959.

September 2024: European Commission Carried Out Unannounced Inspection at Nasdaq Offices

In September 2024, the European Commission conducted an unannounced inspection at the offices of Nasdaq due to potential anti-competitive practices.

October 2024: Nasdaq Announced Updates to its Calypso Platform

In October 2024, Nasdaq announced updates to its Calypso platform, including the introduction of XVA Accelerator, a tool for portfolio risk calculations.

December 31, 2024: 4,075 companies listed securities on Nasdaq

As of December 31, 2024, a total of 4,075 companies had their securities listed on Nasdaq. This included 1,383 listings on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, 1,366 on The Nasdaq Global Market, and 1,326 on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

March 2025: Nasdaq Announced Plans to Introduce 24/5 Trading

In March 2025, pending approval by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Nasdaq announced its plans to introduce 24-hour, 5-day-a-week trading on its United States exchange during the second half of 2026, in response to increased global demand for U.S. equities.

May 2025: Nasdaq and AWS Announced the Launch of Nasdaq Eqlipse Trading

In May 2025, Nasdaq and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the launch of Nasdaq Eqlipse Trading, which is a cloud-based platform. Some exchanges that have adopted the platform include Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Mexico's Grupo BMV, and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

2026: Nasdaq Planned to Introduce 24/5 Trading

In March 2025, Nasdaq announced its plans to introduce 24-hour, 5-day-a-week trading on its United States exchange during the second half of 2026, in response to increased global demand for U.S. equities.