3.2.2 Stock exchanges important for regulations

The various US stock exchanges have for many years made extensive regulations for listed corporations. Often these regulations have been supported by the SEC. The existence in America of large and creative stock exchanges for the past 150 years has supported the development of US corporations.

The US has the largest number of publicly traded corporations in the world: about 6,900 in 2003. Listed companies were good for 60% of US gross domestic product and represented 51.9% of all stock in 2001 owned by private shareholders.1