Index Standards and Listing Standards

Indexes and governance.

What stocks can you invest in? You can go buy the stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq. We live in a global economy so you can buy the stocks listed on the London Stock Exchange or the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Listing is not a prerequisite, though; you can buy public stocks that aren't listed anywhere and trade over the counter on the "pink sheets." And even being public is not necessarily a requirement: In the U.S., exemptions to the registration requirements allow people to buy stock in private companies if they are "accredited investors" (basically: have a lot of money) or if the stock offering is small enough. If Uber Technologies Inc., or your local hardware store, or your favorite podcast, wants to raise money, and you have money, you might be able to work out a deal.