what's the difference between nyse and nasdaq
Trading Structure. The most fundamental difference between the NASDAQ and the NYSE is how transactions actually take place on each exchange. The NYSE is an auction style market, where brokers purchase stocks on behalf of firms or clients and trades actually take place between individuals on the floor of the exchange.
Both the Dow and the Nasdaq, then, refer to an index, or an average of a bunch of numbers derived from the price movements of certain stocks. The DJIA tracks the performance of 30 different companies that are considered major players in their industries.