Leading stock exchanges in the Americas 2024, by number of listed companies
Based in Toronto, the TMX Canada was the largest stock exchange in the Americas as of December 2024 in terms of companies listed, with 3,569. The B3 - Brasil Bolsa Balcao was the largest in South America, with 339 companies.
Stock exchange size
The number of companies is a straightforward way to measure the size of a stock exchange, but there are others. For example, market capitalization, or market cap, refers to the number of shares available on the exchange multiplied by the price per share. This paints a picture of the financial size of the exchange. Another metric is the measure of capital raised, which gives an idea of the profitability of the exchange for the companies listed.
Why measure stock exchanges?
A stock exchange is essentially a place where people can buy shares in a company. In principle, one can go online and buy from any of the exchanges in this statistic. However, companies choose where to offer their stock for a variety of reasons. These initial public offerings (IPOs) take place in the countries chosen by the company as the place in which that company can best earn money. This affects the inflow of money into the market, and a vibrant exchange will help established firms as well. On the supply side, an economy can profit from the securities industry as well. For these reasons and others, analysts pay close attention to the size of exchanges.
