Where is the world's oldest stock exchange still in operation?

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, which opened in 1602, is considered the world's oldest stock exchange still in operation today. It was established specifically to trade shares of the Dutch East India Company, the first company in history to issue tradable stock to the public, effectively creating the modern concept of a publicly traded corporation.

London and New York both host major, historically important stock exchanges, but neither predates Amsterdam's, London's developed later and New York's, home to Wall Street, was founded even later still, in the late 18th century, well over a century after Amsterdam's.

The Dutch East India Company that Amsterdam's exchange was built to serve went on to become, by some estimates, one of the most valuable companies in history when adjusted for its era, illustrating just how significant this early experiment in public share ownership turned out to be for the future of global finance.