Stock market

In the narrow sense, the equity market is defined as the market where the shares of stock exchange-listed companies are traded. The stock market is divided into different market segments, separated by the requirements imposed on companies for admission for trading. In Germany, the market segments are distinguished by the statutory market and the transparency level.

The statutory market distinguishes between the EU-regulated market and the markets which are regulated by the stock exchanges themselves. On Frankfurt Stock Exchange there is an EU-regulated market, the regulated market and the self-regulated market, the so-called Open Market, formerly known as free trade.

With regard to the transparency level, on the regulated market companies can decide between the segments Prime Standard and General Standard. A listing on the self-regulated market takes place in the Open Market to Scale. The other companies in the Open Market are included in the Quotation Board.