London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange (abbreviated LSE) is a stock exchange market located in London. Founded in 1801, it is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world, with many overseas listings as well as UK companies.
The former Stock Exchange Tower, based in Threadneedle Street/Old Board Street was opened by the Queen Elizabeth II in 1972 and housed the 'Trading Floor' where traders would traditionally meet to conduct business. This became redundant with the advent of 'Big Bang' in 1986 which marked the point of deregulation of the market and also the increased use of computerised systems that allowed dealing rooms to take precedence over face to face trading.
In July 2004 the London Stock Exchange moved from Threadneedle Street to Paternoster Square (EC4) close to St Paul's Cathedral, still within the Square mile in the City of London. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II once again, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, on the 27th July 2004. The new building contains a specially commissioned dynamic sculpture called "The Source", by artists Greyworld.
The FTSE actuaries series of indices tracks the performance of the London market.
Shares in the LSE trade under the ticker symbol LSE.
See also market maker.
