A stock market, equity market or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers which represent ownership claims on business these may include security list on a public stock exchange , as well as stock that is only traded privately. Examples of the latter includes share of private company which are sold to investor through equity crowdfunding platform. stock form exchange list share of common equity as well as other security type, e.g corporate bond and convertible bonds.
In the 17th and 18th century the dutch pioneered several financial innovation that help lay the foundation of the modern financial system. While the Italian city state produce the first transferable government bonds. they did not develop the other ingredient necessary to produce a fully fledged capital market. The stock market in the early 1600 the Dutch East India company became the first company in history to issue bonds and share.
There are now market in virtually every develop and most develop economics with the worlds largest market being in the United states, United kingdom, India, China, Canada, France, South Korea, and the Netherlands.