NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange that is primarily focused on technology and growth-oriented companies. It was founded in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and began trading operations in 1971.

NASDAQ is the second-largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization, after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). It is a fully electronic exchange, which means that all trading is conducted through a computer network rather than through physical trading floors.

NASDAQ lists more than 3,800 companies and is home to many of the world's leading technology and biotech firms, including Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet (Google), Facebook, Tesla, and others. It is also known for its various market indices, such as the NASDAQ Composite Index, which tracks the performance of all the companies listed on the exchange.