Stock market

A stock market or equity market or share market is the aggregation of buyers and sellers (a loose network of economic transactions, not a physical facility or discrete entity) of stocks (also called shares); these may include securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.

Size of the market

Stocks can be categorized in various ways. One common way is by the country where the company is domiciled. For example, Nestlé and Novartis are domiciled in Switzerland, so they may be considered as part of the Swiss stock market, although their stock may also be traded at exchanges in other countries.

At the close of 2012, the size of the world stock market (total market capitalisation) was about US$55 trillion. By country, the largest market was the United States (about 34%), followed by Japan (about 6%) and the United Kingdom (about 6%). This went up more in 2013.

Stock exchange

A stock exchange is a place or organization by which stock traders (people and companies) can trade stocks. Companies may want to get their stock listed on a stock exchange. Other stocks may be traded "over the counter", that is, through a dealer. A large company will usually have its stock listed on many exchanges across the world.

Warren Buffett

Warren Edward Buffett (/ˈbʌfᵻt/; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is the most successful investor in the world. Buffett is the chairman, CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, and is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world's wealthiest person in 2008 and as the third wealthiest in 2015. In 2012 Time named Buffett one of the world's most influential people.

Buffett is often referred to as the "Wizard of Omaha" or "Oracle of Omaha," or the "Sage of Omaha," and is noted for his adherence to value investing and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth. Buffett is a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Gates Foundation. On April 11, 2012, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, for which he successfully completed treatment in September 2012. Buffet is also active in contributing to political causes, having endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president during the 2016 campaign season.

Stock

The stock (also capital stock) of a corporation constitutes the equity stake of its owners. It represents the residual assets of the company that would be due to stockholders after discharge of all senior claims such as secured and unsecured debt. Stockholders' equity cannot be withdrawn from the company in a way that is intended to be detrimental to the company's creditors.

Shares

The stock of a corporation is partitioned into shares, the total of which are stated at the time of business formation. Additional shares may subsequently be authorized by the existing shareholders and issued by the company. In some jurisdictions, each share of stock has a certain declared par value, which is a nominal accounting value used to represent the equity on the balance sheet of the corporation. In other jurisdictions, however, shares of stock may be issued without associated par value.

Shares represent a fraction of ownership in a business. A business may declare different types (classes) of shares, each having distinctive ownership rules, privileges, or share values. Ownership of shares may be documented by issuance of a stock certificate. A stock certificate is a legal document that specifies the amount of shares owned by the shareholder, and other specifics of the shares, such as the par value, if any, or the class of the shares.

Adam Khoo

Adam Khoo Yean Ann (traditional Chinese: 邱緣安; simplified Chinese: 邱缘安; pinyin: Qiū Yuán'ān) (born 8 April 1974) is a Singaporean serial entrepreneur, author, trainer and a professional stocks and FX trader. Khoo made national news headlines when he became a self-made millionaire at the age of 26, making him one of the youngest millionaires in Singapore.

Khoo is the Executive chairman and Chief Master Trainer of Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group, one of Asia's largest private educational institutions, which runs educational seminars for over 80,000 people annually in 7 countries. His business interests include advertising, corporate training and professional investing.

In 2008, Khoo was ranked among the top 25 richest Singaporeans under age 40 by The Executive magazine. In the same year, he was conferred the NUS Business School Eminent Business Alumni Award.

Khoo is the director of seven other private companies. He was also a director of the Singapore Health Promotion Board (HPB) from 2009 to 2010. He is a member of the Singapore Chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization, whose membership is available only to business owners below age 50, who run businesses with a minimum annual turnover of US$9 million.

My Favorite

My Favorite are an indie pop band formed in Long Island, New York in the early 1990s, later of Brooklyn and Queens. After releasing two full-length CDs, the original band split in 2005, but reformed in 2014.

Formation and original era

My Favorite formed in Long Island in the early 1990s, and eventually migrated to the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The original lineup consisted of founder and principal songwriter Michael Grace Jr., vocalist Andrea Vaughn, guitarist Darren Amadio, bassist Gil Abad and drummer Todd "Todbot" Karasik.

Their main influences included The Smiths, David Bowie, New Order and various singles from influential labels like Factory, Rough Trade, Cherry Red and Sarah. In negotiating these influences and impulses, they were contemporaries of Magnetic Fields and Belle and Sebastian, two bands they performed alongside in New York.

The band released two full-length CDs (Love at Absolute Zero and The Happiest Days of Our Lives: The Complete Joan of Arc Tapes), and several EPs and limited-edition, vinyl-only singles. They also made two music videos.