Australian Stock Exchange

By Michael Kaufmann

Any investor interested in the Australian stock market will be happy to know with the implementation of an all electronic system, there will be minimal delays in stock trading. Direct transactions with investors are an ideal situation, because there are no market markers on ordinary shares. This also eliminates the chance to lose stop orders. This new convenience, has been made possible with SEATS, the electronic trading system.

This is a very enterprising venture for the Internet stock trader, as the brokers usually place the investor directly in touch with the system, sans credit checks. Online trading has been robust recently, especially with the introduction of trading bots and tools available to the budding stock option trader. And since the days are long gone when a call system was used in the stock trading scenario, which included chalkies, or exchange employees that would write on the boards with chalk to indicate a company or broker being called into bidding.

As a result, new kinds of investors have taken an interest in investing in the Australian stock market. To help these new investors learn how to buy and sell stocks, the Australian Securities Exchange provides a mock trading game called Sharemarket, which gives players $50,000 in play money to invest. While the game is particularly popular with students, it is open to anyone who would like to participate, and is an ideal way for future traders to learn how the stock exchange functions.

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) has a long history related to the stock market. Since gaining ground in the late 1800s, as it first started out as a separated-based exchange, it has quickly evolved into the main giant stock exchanger it is today. What at first was the beginning exchanges totaling to six, for each capital, the ASX soon turned into a single exchange in the early 1900s, which was ultimately called the Australian Association Stock Exchanges. The ASX may have the power to regulate other stock companies but is not allowed to do any regulating of within its own company, which is, by the way, publically owned. The ASX has limited trading options with regard to its share owners, being that a shareholder may not become more than 15% invested in the companys shares.

The primary regulator of the trading of small company stocks is the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC); this is the market the ASX trades in. In addition, the Ministry of Treasury has the right to impose conditions on the operating license of the ASX.

There are several indices maintained by the ASX in conjunction with Standard and Poors (S&P), including the S&P/ASX 300, 200, 100, 50, and 20. For investors wishing to follow the Australian stock market and its indices, a number of companies offer consultation and guidance. One such company is the Intelligent Investor, which is a group of independent investing experts who give customised advice to members. A free trial membership is available, and full membership includes a 100% money-back guarantee. - 29971

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