Share Market Today

• The shares or securities of listed companies are traded through the equity market, primarily through the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• Commodities such as gold, crude oil, and silver are traded through the commodities market, primarily through the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) and the National Commodities & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX).
• For forex trade, like USD-INR and GBP-INR, we have the currency market.

Here’s an oversimplified version of how the (equity) stock market works:

A company looking to raise capital issues its shares to the public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO), upon which the company is listed on the stock exchanges. The shares are then bought and sold by investors, with the demand and supply dynamics determining the stock prices. High demand for a particular stock can push its price upwards and vice versa. Investors generally expect the value of their investment to increase and stay put in the market for longer durations. Traders, on the other hand, are looking to benefit from short-term price fluctuations in the market.

Investors who invest in the market are aiming to grow their wealth through capital appreciation on their investment along with additional gains through dividends. Traders, on the other hand, buy and sell stocks in quicker intervals, attempting to benefit from price fluctuations in the stock market. For instance, a trader can buy stocks worth Rs. 30,000 in March, and say the value of that investment rises to Rs. 34,000 by May. In this situation, the trader could decide to sell their stocks for a profit of Rs. 4,000.