European Stock Exchanges and Major Indices
European stock markets are one of the largest and most developed financial markets in the world. European stock exchanges consist of many exchanges located in different countries and linked to each other. Some of these exchanges are:
- London Stock Exchange: It is the UK's largest and oldest stock exchange. The FTSE 100 index measures the performance of the 100 largest companies traded on the London Stock Exchange.
- Euronext: It is a financial institution founded in 2000 by the merger of the Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam stock exchanges. Later, it also incorporated the Lisbon and Dublin stock exchanges. The Euro Stoxx 50 index measures the performance of the 50 largest European companies traded on Euronext.
- Frankfurt Stock Exchange: Germany's largest and most important stock exchange. The DAX 30 index measures the performance of the 30 largest German companies traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
- CAC 40: It is the largest and most prestigious exchange in France. The CAC 40 index measures the performance of the 40 largest French companies traded on the Paris Stock Exchange.
- IBEX 35: Spain's largest and most popular exchange. The IBEX 35 index measures the performance of the 35 largest Spanish companies traded on the Madrid Stock Exchange.
European stock markets are closely related to the world economy and politics. Factors such as the policies of the European Union, the Brexit process, the coronavirus epidemic, and global trade wars may affect the course of European stock markets. Investors who want to follow the European stock markets should pay attention to these factors and follow the current news.
Those who want to invest in European stock markets can use different methods. Some of these are those:
- Stock trading: You can buy and sell the stocks of thousands of companies traded on European stock exchanges. While trading stocks, you should analyze the financial situation, sectoral developments, competitiveness and expectations of the companies.
- Index trading: You can buy and sell indices represented by European stock markets. When trading indices, you should follow general market trends, macroeconomic data, political developments and risk perception.
- ETF trading: Investment instruments called Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) are funds that track a particular index or sector. With ETFs, you can invest in multiple stocks or indices in a single transaction. When trading an ETF, it examines the fund's management fees, performance, and liquidity.