The stock market is often depicted as a bustling hub of economic activity, where fortunes are made a

He Structure of the Stock Market
At its core, the stock market is a marketplace where investors can buy and sell shares of publicly traded companies. These transactions take place on stock exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq in the United States. Stock exchanges provide a regulated environment that ensures transparency, liquidity, and efficiency in the trading process.

Companies list their shares on these exchanges through an initial public offering (IPO), which allows them to raise capital from investors. Once a company's shares are publicly traded, their prices fluctuate based on supply and demand dynamics in the market. Investors buy shares with the expectation that the company's value will increase over time, leading to capital gains, or they may seek dividends as a source of income.