Bourse

A bourse, also known as a stock exchange, is a marketplace where securities, such as stocks and bonds, are bought and sold. These securities represent ownership in a company or a debt obligation of a government or a company. Stock exchanges serve as a platform for companies to raise capital by issuing shares of stock to the public, and for investors to buy and sell those shares. The prices of securities are determined by supply and demand in the market. Stock exchanges also provide important information and data on the performance of companies and the overall economy, which is used by investors to make informed decisions about their investments. Some of the most well-known stock exchanges in the world include the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

The term "bourse" has its origins in the medieval period. The word "bourse" comes from the Dutch word "beurs" which means "a small room or a hall where merchants used to trade". It was used to describe the trading floors of commodity exchanges in the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) in the Middle Ages. These trading halls were known as "beurzen" and were located in the cities of Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam.

In the 17th century, the term began to be used to refer to stock exchanges as well. The first stock exchange was established in Antwerp in 1460, and it was known as the Beurs van Hendrick de Keyser, named after the architect who designed the building. This was where shares of the East India Company and other companies were traded.

The term "bourse" was later adopted by other European countries and has been used to refer to stock exchanges ever since. It is still used in some European countries such as France, where the stock exchange is known as the "Bourse de Paris"