What is the Nasdaq? Understanding the global stock exchange that's home to the fastest-growing, most innovative companies

• The Nasdaq was created in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as FINRA).
• At first, it was just a quotation system but began adding trading and transactional systems.
• In 2002, Nasdaq became an independent, publicly-traded company.
• In 2006, it became an SEC-registered national securities exchange.
• In 2007, it combined with the OMX, the Scandinavian exchange group, to form the Nasdaq OMX group.

• The Nasdaq Composite Index tracks 2,790 Nasdaq securities - almost everything except mutual funds, preferred stocks, and derivative securities.
• The smaller Nasdaq 100 Index focuses on the largest, non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq with over half in the tech sector.

The Nasdaq Composite is more influential and widely followed, while the Nasdaq 100 is viewed by traders and investors interested in futures, options, and exchange-traded funds.

Both the Nasdaq Composite and Nasdaq 100 use the same modified market capitalization weighting method: Each share's closing price (LSP) is multiplied by the total shares outstanding (TSO).

Share weights calculation: Each security's market capitalization is divided by the total capitalization of all index securities. Share weights for each stock are then multiplied by that stock's closing price. The total is divided by an index divisor that accounts for market fluctuations. The result is the Nasdaq average for that day.

Nasdaq's indexes have outperformed the S&P 500 (it tracks large-cap stocks), and the Dow Jones Industrial Index (the 30 largest US companies).

It outperformed because both Nasdaq indexes lean heavily into tech, consumer services, and health care - the top-performing industries in recent years.

While you can try to duplicate the Nasdaq 100 or the Nasdaq Composite with individual stock purchases, it would be more efficient to invest in an index fund.

• The Invesco Unit Investment Trust QQQ ETF is the most popular Nasdaq index fund and tracks the Nasdaq 100.
• Fidelity's Nasdaq Composite Index ETF is a popular exchange-traded fund for investing in the entire Nasdaq composite.
• For a mutual fund, look at the Fidelity Nasdaq Composite Index Fund.

Nasdaq is also a public company that you can invest in. It trades as Nasdaq Inc.