The stock market is where investors go to buy and sell stock in publicly traded companies. Selling stocks is a way for companies to raise money to fund their operations and growth. In return, the investors (or shareholders) have a say in how the company is run and can make money as the company grows and expands—as long as the value of their stock rises.
The point of the stock market is for all this to happen in an open and regulated environment that keeps everything fair. Stock markets allow everyday people to share in the success of the world’s top companies, provide an easy avenue for converting investments to cash (liquidation), and act as an economic barometer (tell us how well the economy is doing).