HowStuffWorks "Stock Market"

THE STOCK MARKET

Whether you're an economics wiz or don't know your NASDAQ from your Dow Jones, these articles will give you a deeper understanding of the forces at play in the stock market.

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How IPOs Work

Initial public offerings have been around for centuries -- every company with shares that are publicly traded on the stock market had an IPO at one point. Find out what an IPO is and how it makes people rich.

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10 Biggest IPO Flops in History
Initial public offerings (IPO) often serve as a company's coming out party. Investors line up to purchase newly offered stock, sending the stock price -- and the company's net worth -- into the stratosphere. See more »
10 of the Biggest IPOs in History
Initial public offerings are as high as high finance gets. When popular, formerly private companies decide to offer shares of their stock to the public, the price of that stock can skyrocket. Here are 10 companies whose IPOs reached the stratosphere. See more »
Can you tell if a stock is about to rebound?
Is that stock that's been lingering price-wise in the basement a good deal or just likely to down even lower? Can you tell whether a stock's price is going to go up or down without being psychic? See more »
Fact or Fiction: Can You Lose It All on a Margin Call?
Buying stocks on margin is a way to maximize profits when stock prices rise, but it's a risky move that can wipe your portfolio clean. Take this quiz to see exactly how you can go broke on a margin call. See more »
How does oil speculation raise gas prices?
Before most people were even aware there was an economic crisis, investment managers looked for lucrative investments. What they settled on was oil futures, and those futures brought speculation. See more »
How Electronic Trading Works
Millions of people trade billions of shares of stock every day on a collection of computer systems that are incredibly reliable and, very nearly, inerrant. Learn about the complex world of electronic trading. See more »
How IPOs Work
Initial public offerings have been around for centuries -- every company with shares that are publicly traded on the stock market had an IPO at one point. Find out what an IPO is and how it makes people rich. See more »
How Margin Accounts Work
If you ever get a chance to buy a blue-chip stock, you'd jump on it -- but what if you can't afford to buy all the shares you'd like? You can open a margin account and borrow the money, but be careful: You can go completely broke if things go south. See more »
How NASDAQ IPOs Work
Find out what a NASDAQ IPO is and see cool videos from a recent HowStuffWorks trip to this Wall Street wonder. See more »
How NASDAQs Opening and Closing Cross Works
The NASDAQ opening and closing cross process allows NASDAQ to calculate the correct average of a stock price during off-market hours. Read more and watch a video on how this process works. See more »