NASDAQ stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations and is an electronic stock exchange based in New York. As an electronic exchange, it does not have a physical trading room, but exists purely online.

The NASDAQ is known for its focus on technology companies , although companies from various industries are included. Some of the world's largest and best-known companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and Alphabet (Google) are listed on the NASDAQ.

The NASDAQ Composite Index, for example, is derived from this. This broad market index comprises all NASDAQ companies and serves as an important indicator of this economic sector in the USA due to the high proportion of technology companies. The NASDAQ 100, on the other hand, comprises the 100 largest non-financial companies. The NASDAQ 100 Index therefore serves as a barometer for technology and internet companies.