Stocks & Bonds

Industry Information about Stocks & Bonds.

In 1995 there were close to 1,000 companies with revenues of $176.26 billion and 429,900 employees. In the same year U.S. corporate stock and bond sales increased to $709.3 billion from $705.7 billion in 1994, due to a full calendar of common-stock offerings. Behind the steady financing activity was a mixture of lower interest rates and higher stock prices, which together resulted in more private investors to buy common stock. One of the most active sectors of the common-stock underwriting market was the first public offering, as 572 companies came to market in 1995. Major U.S. stock markets reached the peak of trading records in 1995. Typical daily volume on the over-the counter National Association of Securities Dealers' Automated Quotations System stock market increased to 400 million shares, this was up 36 percent from 1994.

Recent Trends in Stocks & Bonds

The late 1990s experienced the beginning of online trading, a trend that revolutionized and adjusted the industry significantly. However in the mid-90s, traditional brokerage, like stocks and bonds in New York, through Merrill Lynch, was not concerned about the rising competition, declaring a discount online brokerage model was not maintainable in a business sense.
Stocks and bonds in Kansas City was also represented by a traditional firm without online trading, and that is Prudential Securities of Missouri. However, online trading began to shape the industry in the late-90s and is currently running the business.

Businesses in This Category

The stock and bonds industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in the sale, purchase and brokerage of securities. Firms in this industry mainly serve as financial intermediaries, matching investors with entities that need money.