Market A-Z
Complete guide to Indian stock exchanges, indices, and market terminology
Active Stock Exchanges
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
Est. 1875
Location
Mumbai
Primary Index
Sensex
Significance
Oldest stock exchange in Asia
Listed Companies
5,000+
National Stock Exchange (NSE)
Est. 1992
Location
Mumbai
Primary Index
NIFTY 50
Significance
Largest stock exchange in India by trading volume
Listed Companies
2,000+
Specialty
Electronic trading system
Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI)
Est. 2008
Location
Mumbai
Primary Index
SX40
Significance
Recognized stock exchange, but very low trading activity
International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Exchanges
Located at GIFT City, Gujarat - For international trading
NSE IFSC
Location
GIFT City, Gujarat
Description
Allows international trading in foreign currency
Focus
Focus on global investors
BSE IFSC
Location
GIFT City, Gujarat
Description
International arm of BSE
Focus
Trades global financial instruments
Former / Closed Stock Exchanges
These exchanges are no longer operational:
- •Calcutta Stock Exchange
- •Madras Stock Exchange
- •Delhi Stock Exchange
- •Ahmedabad Stock Exchange
NSE (National Stock Exchange) Indices
Broad Market Indices
- →NIFTY 50 – Top 50 large companies
- →NIFTY Next 50 – Next 50 companies after NIFTY 50
- →NIFTY 100 – Top 100 companies
- →NIFTY 200
- →NIFTY 500 – Represents overall market
Market Capitalization Indices
- →NIFTY LargeCap 100
- →NIFTY Midcap 100
- →NIFTY Smallcap 100
- →NIFTY Midcap 150
- →NIFTY Smallcap 250
- →NIFTY Microcap 250
Sectoral Indices
- →NIFTY Bank
- →NIFTY IT
- →NIFTY Pharma
- →NIFTY FMCG
- →NIFTY Metal
- →NIFTY Auto
- →NIFTY Realty
- →NIFTY Energy
- →NIFTY Healthcare
Thematic Indices
- →NIFTY PSU Bank
- →NIFTY Private Bank
- →NIFTY Infrastructure
- →NIFTY Consumption
- →NIFTY India Digital
- →NIFTY Manufacturing
Volatility Index
India VIX
BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) Indices
Broad Market Indices
- →SENSEX – Top 30 companies
- →BSE 100
- →BSE 200
- →BSE 500
Market Capitalization Indices
- →BSE LargeCap
- →BSE MidCap
- →BSE SmallCap
Sectoral Indices
→BSE Bankex
→BSE IT
→BSE FMCG
→BSE Auto
→BSE Metal
→BSE Oil & Gas
→BSE Healthcare
→BSE Realty
Basic Stock Market Terms
Stock Market Basics
Stock (Share)
A unit of ownership in a company.
Shareholder
A person or entity that owns shares in a company.
Equity
Ownership interest in a company (another word for stock).
Market
A place where buyers and sellers trade financial assets.
Stock Market & Exchanges
Stock Market
A system where stocks are bought and sold.
Stock Exchange
An organized marketplace for trading stocks (e.g., NYSE, NASDAQ).
IPO (Initial Public Offering)
When a company sells its shares to the public for the first time.
Listed Company
A company whose shares trade on a stock exchange.
Trading & Price Terms
Bid Price
The highest price a buyer is willing to pay.
Ask Price
The lowest price a seller is willing to accept.
Market Price
The current price at which a stock is trading.
Volume
Number of shares traded in a given period.
Liquidity
How easily a stock can be bought or sold.
Investment Performance
Bull Market
A market where prices are rising.
Bear Market
A market where prices are falling.
Volatility
Degree of price fluctuation.
Return
Profit or loss from an investment.
Dividend
A portion of company profits paid to shareholders.
Financial Metrics
Market Capitalization
Total value of a company's shares (Share Price × Total Shares).
Earnings
Company's profit.
P/E Ratio (Price-to-Earnings)
Stock price divided by earnings per share.
EPS (Earnings Per Share)
Profit allocated to each share.
Risk & Strategy
Diversification
Spreading investments to reduce risk.
Portfolio
Collection of investments owned by an individual or institution.
Risk
Chance of losing money or earning less than expected.
Long Position
Buying a stock expecting its price to rise.
Short Selling
Selling borrowed stock hoping to buy it back at a lower price.
Stock Market Glossary
A
Ask Price
Lowest price a seller is willing to accept.
Asset
Anything of value owned by a company or individual.
Average Volume
Average number of shares traded over a period.
B
Bear Market
Period when stock prices fall consistently.
Bid Price
Highest price a buyer is willing to pay.
Blue-Chip Stock
Shares of large, stable, well-known companies.
Broker
An intermediary who buys and sells stocks for investors.
Bull Market
Period when stock prices rise.
C
Capital Gain
Profit from selling a stock at a higher price.
Capital Loss
Loss from selling a stock at a lower price.
Circuit Breaker
Temporary halt in trading to prevent panic selling.
Correction
A decline of about 10% from recent highs.
D
Day Trading
Buying and selling stocks within the same day.
Dividend
Portion of profits paid to shareholders.
Diversification
Investing in different assets to reduce risk.
E
Earnings
Company's profit.
EPS (Earnings Per Share)
Profit per outstanding share.
Equity
Ownership in a company.
F
Face Value
Original value of a share set by the company.
Fundamental Analysis
Evaluating a company using financial data.
H
Hedge
Investment made to reduce potential losses.
High Volume
Large number of shares traded.
I
Index
A group of stocks representing a market (e.g., S&P 500).
IPO (Initial Public Offering)
First sale of shares to the public.
L
Liquidity
Ease of buying or selling a stock.
Lot Size
Minimum number of shares per trade.
M
Market Capitalization
Total value of a company's shares.
Market Order
Buy or sell at current market price.
Mutual Fund
Investment pool managed by professionals.
N
NAV (Net Asset Value)
Value of a mutual fund per unit.
O
Order
Instruction to buy or sell a stock.
Overvalued
Stock priced higher than its true value.
P
P/E Ratio
Price-to-earnings ratio.
Portfolio
Collection of investments.
Price Action
Movement of stock price.
R
Resistance
Price level where stock struggles to rise.
Risk
Possibility of loss.
Return
Gain or loss from investment.
S
Support
Price level where stock tends to stop falling.
Stop Loss
Order to limit losses.
Short Selling
Selling borrowed shares to profit from price decline.
T
Technical Analysis
Studying price charts and indicators.
Trend
General direction of the market or stock.
V
Volatility
Degree of price fluctuation.
Volume
Number of shares traded.