Some are still around, while others only lasted a short time. Nine other small regional stock exchanges also operate, the closest ones being in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. Stock prices rise and fall. If they fall, you can lose much or all of your investment. Because the rewards can be great, too.
Companies issue stocks and bonds to raise money to expand their business.
An investor who buys stock in a company becomes a part owner of that business. If the company does well, the stock owner will receive periodic dividends, or a small part of the company's profits. As the company grows, its stocks become more and more valuable. While money in the bank may grow only four percent or so in a year, stocks often grow by two or three times that amount. Some stocks have doubled their values in just a few years.