Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026
Discover the best brokers with access to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) following our rigorous hands-on testing.
Written ByRoyston Wild
Royston is a seasoned investor and financial writer with over a decade of experience analyzing brokers and investment markets. With a background in stocks, commodities, and forex reporting - he brings a fresh perspective to broker evaluations.
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Fact Checked ByJames Barra
James is an experienced broker analyst with a background in financial services. He has spent 2,500+ hours testing brokers, used 35+ different platforms and apps, audited 120+ broker T&Cs, and verified 300+ regulatory licenses. James has also been on US and UK TV, and been a guest on finance podcasts, discussing reports conducted by BrokerListings.com and sharing his expertise.
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Edited ByTobias Robinson
Tobias is committed to helping traders find the right brokerage for their needs. He has tested 200+ brokers, spent 2,600+ hours using different platforms, and placed 2,100+ trades.
Tobias Robinson Profile PageSeptember 10, 2026
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1Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a leading brokerage offering access to over 170 markets in 40 countries and a range of investment services. With 40+ years in the industry, this Nasdaq-listed company follows strict regulations by the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, making it a trusted global trading broker.
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2NinjaTrader is a US-based brokerage regulated for trading futures. It offers three different pricing plans for varied needs and budgets, along with extremely low margins on popular contracts. The company's renowned charting software and trading platform provides extensive customization options and excellent technical analysis features.
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3eToro is a platform for social investing that provides options for both short and long-term trading on stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto. The platform is recognized for its easy-to-use, community-oriented interface and reasonable fees. With oversight from FINRA and SIPC, and used by millions globally, eToro is a reputed name in the industry. Trading on eToro is facilitated by eToro USA Securities, Inc.
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4Moomoo is a regulated trading platform overseen by trusted regulators like the SEC. It provides a simple, cost-effective method to trade in stocks, ETFs, and various assets from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the US, and Australia. They provide the option for margin trading, along with no minimum deposit requirement, and several bonus options.
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5Firstrade is a US-based discount broker-dealer authorized by the SEC and a member of FINRA/SIPC. It offers welcome bonuses, advanced tools and apps, and commission-free trading. Firstrade Securities is a popular top online brokerage, and opening a new account is fast and simple.
Compare Brokers
| Broker |  |
USD Account |
Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Leverage |
Copy Trading |
Regulator |
Instruments |
Platforms |
Account Currencies |
Automated Trading |
AI |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
✓ | ✓ | $0 | $0 | 1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities) | ✗ | SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS | Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies | Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, JPY, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, AED, HUF | Capitalise.ai, TWS API | ✓ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✓ | $0 (live trades must meet intraday margin minimums, e.g., $50 to trade micro contracts) | 0.01 Lots | $50 intraday margins for Micro contracts and $500 for popular E-mini contracts | ✗ | NFA, CFTC, CySEC | Futures, Forex, Stocks, Options, Commodities, Futures, Crypto (non-futures depend on provider) | NinjaTrader Desktop, Web & Mobile, eSignal | USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD | NinjaScript or via Automated Trading Interface | ✗ | ✗ | |
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✓ | ✓ | $50 | $10 | ✗ | ✓ | SEC, FINRA | Stocks, Options, ETFs, Crypto | eToro Trading Platform & CopyTrader | USD | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
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✓ | ✓ | $0 | $0 | 1:2 | ✗ | SEC, FINRA, SIPC, MAS, SFC, ASIC, FMA, CIRO, CIPF, JFSA, SC | Stocks, Options, ETFs, ADRs, OTCs ,Futures | Desktop Platform, Mobile App | USD, CAD, AUD, JPY, MYR, HKD, SGD, CNY | Moomoo OpenAPI | ✓ | ✗ | |
 |
✓ | ✗ | $0 | $5 | ✗ | ✗ | SEC, FINRA | Stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Fixed | Firstrade Invest 3.0, TradingCentral | USD | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Broker | |
USD Account |
Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Leverage |
Copy Trading |
Regulator |
Instruments |
Platforms |
Account Currencies |
Automated Trading |
AI |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Safety Comparison
Compare how safe the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026 are.
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
|
✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
| Broker | Trust Rating |
Guaranteed Stop Loss |
Negative Balance Protection |
Segregated Accounts |
Mobile Trading Comparison
Compare the mobile trading features of the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
iOS & Android | ✓ | ||
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
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Yes (iOS & Android) | ✗ | ||
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iOS & Android | ✗ | ||
| Broker | Mobile Apps |
iOS Rating |
Android Rating |
Smart Watch App |
Comparison for Beginners
Compare how suitable the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026 are for beginners.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | $0 | $0 | ✓ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $0 (live trades must meet intraday margin minimums, e.g., $50 to trade micro contracts) | 0.01 Lots | ✗ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $50 | $10 | ✓ | ✗ | ||
|
✓ | $0 | $0 | ✓ | ✗ | ||
|
✗ | $0 | $5 | ✓ | ✗ | ||
| Broker | Demo Account |
Minimum Deposit |
Minimum Trade |
Education Rating |
Support Rating |
Fractional Shares |
Demo Competitions |
Comparison for Advanced Traders
Compare how suitable the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026 are for advanced or professional traders.
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Capitalise.ai, TWS API | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | 1:50 (major forex pairs), 1:2-1:4 (equities) | ✓ | ✓ |
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NinjaScript or via Automated Trading Interface | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | $50 intraday margins for Micro contracts and $500 for popular E-mini contracts | ✓ | ✗ |
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✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
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Moomoo OpenAPI | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | 1:2 | ✓ | ✓ |
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✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Broker | Automated Trading |
VPS |
API |
AI |
Pro Account |
Leverage |
Low Latency |
Extended Hours |
Accounts Comparison
Compare the trading accounts offered by Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✓ | USD: 3.14%, GBP: 3.24% | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | USD: 4.05% | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✓ | USD: 3.35% | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
|
✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Broker | Demo Account |
Interest on Cash |
Islamic Account |
Joint Account |
Managed Account |
PAMM |
MAM |
LAMM |
Pro Account |
Detailed Rating Comparison
Compare how we rated the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026 in key areas.
| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Broker | Trust |
Platforms |
Assets |
Mobile |
Fees |
Accounts |
Research |
Education |
Support |
Fee and Cost Comparison
Compare the cost of trading with the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026.
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
✗ | $0 | 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value | 0.12%-0.18% | |
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✗ | $35 | 1.3 | Floating | |
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✓ | $10 | ✗ | BTC 0.75% | |
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✗ | $0 | ✗ | 0.49% per spot Bitcoin trade (US), 0.3% to 0.39% (Singapore) | |
|
✗ | $0 | ✗ | Variable | |
| Broker | Cost Rating |
Fixed Spreads |
Inactivity Fee |
EUR/USD Spread |
Crypto Spread |
Customer Ratings
Compare how customers of these brokers feel about them, with real user ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.
| Broker | Customers |
Trustpilot Score |
Trustpilot Reviews |
Android App Rating |
iOS App Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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4,300,000 | 5,492 | |||
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1,800,000 | 1,216 | |||
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3,200,000 | 32,061 | |||
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24,000,000 | 504 | |||
|
✗ | 53 | |||
| Broker | Customers |
Trustpilot Score |
Trustpilot Reviews |
Android App Rating |
iOS App Rating |
Broker Popularity
See how popular the Best New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers 2026 are in terms of number of clients.
| Broker | Popularity |
|---|---|
| Moomoo |
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| Interactive Brokers |
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| eToro USA |
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| NinjaTrader |
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Why Trade With Interactive Brokers?
Interactive Brokers is ideal for seasoned traders due to its robust charting platforms, updated data, and adaptability, especially with the IBKR Desktop application. Its exceptional pricing and advanced order features appeal to traders, and its variety of stocks remains unmatched in the market.
Pros
- Interactive Brokers was awarded 'Best US Broker' for 2025 by DayTrading.com for its dedication to US traders, ultra-low margin rates, and affordable global market access.
- IBKR offers exceptional access to global stocks, with thousands of equities available from over 100 market centers in 24 countries, including the recent addition of the Saudi Stock Exchange.
- Interactive Brokers has introduced a single platform combining prediction markets from Kalshi, CME Group, and ForecastEx. Users can trade yes/no contracts on political, economic, and climate events, with a fixed $1 payout per contract, 24/6 market access, and interest on qualified positions.
Cons
- Customer service may take time to respond, and there may be delays in fixing problems based on tests. It could be difficult to reach the customer service promptly.
- In 2025, IBKR was fined $11.8 million by the US OFAC for offering services in restricted areas. It also faced a $125,000 fine from FINRA in 2025 for failing to disclose municipal bond information.
- IBKR offers many research tools. However, the tools are not uniformly distributed across trading platforms and the web-based 'Account Management' page, causing confusion for the users.
Why Trade With NinjaTrader?
NinjaTrader consistently satisfies active futures traders with its low-cost service and high-quality analysis tools. It offers superior charting features, including hundreds of indicators and over 10 chart types.
Pros
- The market replay feature lets you download tick-by-tick historical data, go back to any date, and interact with it as if trading live. It's useful for strategy testing and real-world practice.
- Nano contracts, which are one-hundredth the size of standard contracts, let traders adjust positions precisely and manage risks on a smaller scale. This is beneficial for those who build positions gradually.
's ecosystem offers traders access to thousands of add-ons and applications from developers in over 150 countries. These include indicators, strategies, and custom tools that extend the platform's native features.
Cons
- Intraday margin requirements can rise up to four times in the 15 minutes before major economic news and remain high for several minutes after volatility decreases.
- NinjaTrader was fined $250,000 in 2025 for not implementing a sufficient anti-money laundering program and for supervisory failures.
- NinjaTrader was bought by Kraken in May 2025. Although it still operates independently, traders concerned about long-term stability may worry about changes in the platform's direction and pricing under new ownership.
Why Trade With eToro USA?
eToro is a strong choice for traders seeking social and copy trading. Its low deposit, zero commissions, and easy-to-use platform suit new traders.
Pros
- Traders can use Smart Portfolios for a simpler approach, covering multiple sectors and markets like renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
- eToro USA Securities is a reliable broker that's regulated by the SEC, part of FINRA, and a member of SIPC.
- The online broker provides a user-friendly social investment network for easy crypto trading replication.
Cons
- Average fees may reduce active traders' profit margins.
- The range of trading instruments is limited compared to some competitors, offering mainly stocks, ETFs, a large selection of options, and cryptocurrencies.
- Traders used to third-party charting tools won't find MetaTrader 4 platform integration.
Why Trade With Moomoo?
Moomoo is a great option for beginner and intermediate traders aiming to diversify their investment portfolio. The brokerage's app is easily navigable and the trading fees are significantly low.
Pros
- The Moomoo AI assistant, available on the desktop software and app, offers valuable market insights for active traders.
- API Skills offers agentic investing for retail traders. Users can connect their AI agents, such as Claude or OpenAI, to Moomoo's platform to execute algorithmic strategies using natural language.
- The fees for options contracts have been lowered from $0.65 to $0.
Cons
- Moomoo has received several regulatory penalties lately, including fines and orders in 2026 that temporarily halted the acceptance of some Japanese and Chinese clients.
- The account options are limited compared to similar brokerages, with no managed portfolios or robo-advisor solutions.
- No negative balance protection, a standard safety feature at top-tier regulated brokers.
Why Trade With Firstrade?
Firstrade is ideal for beginners wanting to trade US stocks without commission fees. It offers plenty of free educational resources and high-quality research, including its new FirstradeGPT tool. Users also get trading ideas from Morningstar, Briefing.com, Zacks, and Benzinga.
Pros
- FirstradeGPT ranks among the initial brokers to offer AI-powered analysis.
- Great broker for cost-conscious traders with low OTC fees
- Improved platform in 2025 with Firstrade Invest 3.0, featuring a cleaner interface and faster order entry for active traders in key areas like watchlists and options chains.
Cons
- Visa card deposits and withdrawals are not accepted.
- Firstrade does not offer a demo or paper trading account, unlike over 90% of other options we've reviewed.
- Customer support needs improvement after testing, but 24/7 help is now available.
Filters
How We Choose The Top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Brokers
Our detailed testing process comprises the following steps:
- Opening a broker account with each company in our rapidly evolving database, then recording which ones provide access to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
- Checking that each broker is authorized by a national regulator like the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We then weigh up how well investors are protected from fraud and bad business practices. This stage also involves researching whether the brokerage has been found to have breached regulations in any territory.
- Considering the strengths and weaknesses of the service each broker provides. Dealing costs, the performance of their trading platform, and the range of NYSE shares they provide access to are the three core areas we zero-in on.
- Regularly checking that each broker has retained their regulatory status and has no restrictions on their activities. Financial watchdogs can suspend or revoke an operator’s licence or limit what they do when misconduct has been identified.
BrokerListings.com awards each broker in its directory an overall rating after considering 200 to 300 separate data points, and combining these with the findings of our hands-on testers.
How Should I Choose A Broker To Trade The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?
The US is the world’s foremost share trading destination, with average notional trading volumes hitting $1.1 trillion in 2025. This number has risen sharply in recent years, thanks in part to the growing number of retail brokers offering access.
Yet not all brokerages offer the same level of service, whether you’re trading stocks on the NYSE or another major exchange. Some key things to look out for when choosing a broker include:
Regulatory Status
Investment scams are booming as online trading grows in popularity. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) estimates that investment fraud cost Americans a staggering $61.4 billion in 2025.
It’s not just scams that are causing investors grief. Thousands of brokerages across the globe have been found to provide a poor level of customer service, causing individuals extreme distress and in many cases costing them money as well.
The simplest way to limit these threats is to check that the service provider you’re considering is licensed by a respected national regulator.
In the States, investors typically plump for a broker that’s approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Traders of NYSE-linked derivatives may also look for a firm that’s regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
All of these regulators are considered top-tier organizations, implementing strict rules and enforcement policies against individuals and companies that breach the rules. But here’s the thing: not all financial watchdogs offer the same level of protection.
This is why BrokerListings.com has established a comprehensive regulator classification system. This directory separates the very best organizations — like the three US bodies above, all of which have attained a ‘Category A’ rating from us — from those offering limited and substandard safeguards.
Pro tip: Each of the 90 to 100 Category A regulators in our database maintains a directory of approved brokers, or has it maintained on their behalf by another official financial or government body. This makes the process of finding a regulated firm in your jurisdiction much easier.
Top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) broker for regulatory status: Moomoo is regulated by some of the world’s most reputable financial watchdogs, including the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
Critically for US traders, Moomoo is also authorized by the SEC and FINRA.
Moomoo’s entry on the FINRA database. Source: FINRA
Pro tip: Using a SEC and FINRA-approved broker has another significant advantage for traders, namely possible protection for your funds if the company is unable to meet their financial obligations.
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) pays out up to $500,000 for eligible claims, including a maximum of $250,000 on cash holdings.
Trading Costs
The next most important thing (in my view) when selecting a broker is to consider how much it costs you to buy and sell securities and operate an account. We invest and trade to make money. The amount of profit we make can be significantly impacted by exorbitant and unnecessary charges.
Top regulators require brokers to publish a clear and comprehensive list of fees and other costs. Pay close attention to these: a service operator may charge zero commissions, but make up for this in other areas like charging higher account fees or wider bid (buy) and ask (sell) spreads than the competition.
Key fees and charges to pay attention to include:
- Trading commissions.
- Fees for depositing and withdrawing cash.
- Account fees and charges for extra features (like access to narrower spreads and reduced commissions; permission to use advanced charting tools; and access to enhanced market execution).
- Charges for periods of account inactivity.
- Swap fees (if you’re trading NYSE-related derivatives).
- Currency conversion charges (if you’re buying and selling US dollar (USD)-denominated assets from outside the States).
Pro tip: Generally speaking, NYSE-listed securities are priced and traded in bucks. This means using a broker that offers USD-based trading accounts — and in the process helps you avoid costly forex conversion fees — can be extremely worthwhile.
Individuals don’t pay the NYSE directly to trade using its platform. Instead, the exchange charges market members such as brokerages who transact on their clients’ behalf. It’s then down to the discretion of the broker to pass these costs onto their customers in one way or another (e.g. by charging trading commissions).
Let’s say a client asks their broker to purchase 5,000 shares in technology company Oracle for their trading account. If the order takes liquidity out of the marketplace, the broker may pay a total fee of $15 ($0.0030 per share x 5,000 shares).
Top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) broker for trading costs: Fusion Markets does not allow traders to buy and sell stocks directly. Instead, it provides NYSE exposure via a low-cost contracts for difference (CFDs) model, which we at BrokerListings.com believe merits a close look from investors wishing to speculate on share price movements.
Traders at Fusion don’t pay a cent in trading commissions, while there are no fees for making deposits or withdrawals. Accounts are also free from maintenance charges, and there are no costs if your account is inactive for a period.
Fusion Markets charges zero commissions. Source: Fusion Markets
Asset Range
The traditional way to get exposure to NYSE stocks is to buy and sell these securities directly. This method allows investors to make money if share prices rise, and to receive passive income if the company pays a dividend.
Investors can also trade exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that contain NYSE stocks. At the time of writing, there were none available that contained just NYSE-quoted companies. However, there were many ETFs that contained shares from the exchange along with those quoted on other US trading venues.
Examples include the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF, which holds both NYSE and NASDAQ-listed companies. Be mindful that funds like these aren’t available to trade on the NYSE itself, though they are listed on many other global securities exchanges.
Some investors prefer to trade the NYSE using derivatives like CFDs, futures and options contracts. This route gives traders more flexibility by letting them go ‘long’ or ‘short,’ thus allowing them to target profits even when share prices fall. The disadvantage is the loss of certain perks like dividend income and shareholder voting rights.
Pro tip: The universal popularity of US stocks means investors shouldn’t face challenges finding a broker to trade the NYSE’s blue-chip companies. However, coverage outside the exchange’s large caps can differ significantly across brokerages.
Let’s say you want to buy shares in banking giant Goldman Sachs (market cap: $299 billion as of the time of writing). You shouldn’t have problems locating a brokerage that lets you make the trade, whether that’s directly buying the stock or using a derivative contract. Be mindful that not all brokers offer the same range of financial instruments, however.
But what about if you want to open a position in heavy equipment supplier Alta Equipment Group? Purchasing shares in this small cap share (market cap: $189 million) or a linked derivative may be more problematic.
Top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) broker for asset range: Whether you’re wanting to trade NYSE shares themselves, or to gain exposure through derivatives contracts, there’s a good chance Interactive Brokers will have you covered.
Generally speaking, it has one of the widest ranges of assets in the broker industry. It offers access to 10,000 stocks in the US alone. What’s more, many NYSE-quoted companies can be picked up as fractional shares, which – as the name implies — allows investors to own a portion of a company’s share.
Trading Platform
There are certain things all investors need from their trading software. These include:
- Rapid execution speeds.
- Customizable menus and charts.
- Real-time price and volume data.
- Reliability during busy market periods.
- News feeds, economic calendars and other market- and economic-sensitive information.
- Risk management tools (like take-profit and stop-loss orders).
- Robust security features when withdrawing cash and signing in.
Traders are likely to have other requirements based on their own personal circumstances and investing style and objectives. And they may not be any less important than those discussed above.
For instance, short-term traders (like scalpers) will need access to cutting-edge trading tools, while new traders may like a broker with social trading features to give them investment ideas.
Top New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) broker for trading platform: CMC Markets’ proprietary trading platform is simple to use, features high levels of customization, and has a wide range of features for investors (like dozens of drawing tools and technical indicators).
Also, if you prefer to use third-party software like MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5) or TradingView, that isn’t a problem with CMC. Its infrastructure is compatible with these platforms, though bear in mind that the range of available assets differs across them.
What we also like about CMC is its excellent demo account, which lets users practise trading NYSE-listed shares and CFDs without risking their money. This can help traders fine-tune their trading strategies, and can be a valuable tool whatever your level of experience is in financial markets.
Trading Visa shares using CMC Markets’ demo account. Source: CMC Markets
How Can I Begin Trading The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?
It doesn’t have to take too long to get started trading NYSE-listed shares and other securities. It comprises three steps:
1. Comparing brokers. As mentioned, the four key things to check are the broker’s regulatory status; trading costs; range of assets and dealing platform. This is the bare minimum, and you’ll want to consider other things that pertain to your investing style and objectives. If I’m on a tight budget, I might want to look at brokers that offer low minimum deposits, for example. Brokers offering smartphone apps might also be important if I like to do business ‘on the move.’
2. Opening an account. Once I’ve selected a broker, I’ll need to provide some personal information to register for a live account. Alongside the basics like name, date of birth and place of residence, I’ll also be asked investing and financial questions to meet Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules, if my broker operates in a highly regulated territory. Also be prepared to submit digital copies of identification documents and proof of address at this stage.
3. Depositing cash. I’ll need money to start building my portfolio, naturally. Popular ways to deposit capital include debit card, bank transfer (from US or international banks such as Capital One), digital wallet (like Apple Pay) and payment service providers (such as PayPal).
What Is The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?
The New York Stock Exchange (commonly referred to as the NYSE) is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization. It can trace its roots back to 1792, and it morphed into a formal organization in 1817 when it was known as the New York Stock & Exchange Board.
Located on Wall Street for more than 200 years, the NYSE blends a traditional ‘open outcry’ auction system on its physical trading floor with modern electronic trading. In this way it differs from the NASDAQ exchange, where all buying and selling takes place electronically.
While the NASDAQ is focused chiefly on tech stocks, the NYSE offers exposure to a broad range of shares spanning different industries and sub-sectors. Some of its most famous listings include:
- Soft drinks manufacturer Coca-Cola.
- Banking giant JPMorgan Chase.
- Microchip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
- Supermarket chain Walmart.
- Johnson & Johnson, which manufactures pharmaceuticals, medical devices and surgical technology.
- Payments operator Mastercard.
- Oil and gas producer Chevron.
- Holding company and investment firm Berkshire Hathaway.
- Caterpillar, which manufactures equipment and power systems for mining and construction projects.
- Jet engine manufacturer GE Aerospace.
The NYSE is home to roughly 2,500 publicly listed companies, many of which can be found on the S&P 500 index. This is generally considered the leading benchmark for the performance of the US stock market.
The health of the NYSE itself is best represented by the NYSE Composite Index, which tracks the prices of all common stocks on the exchange. Other NYSE-focused equity indices focus on particular sectors like the NYSE Financial Index, the NYSE Energy Index, and the NYSE Health Care Index.
Long-term performance of the NYSE Composite Index Source: NYSE
Pro tip: The NYSE is owned by NYSE Group, a subsidiary of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) which operates multiple trading venues and provides infrastructure for financial markets.
How Can I Trade The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?
It’s unlikely I’ll encounter any trouble finding brokerages offering exposure to NYSE shares. The exchange’s blue ribbon shares are heavily traded, and financial service providers provide access through a variety of asset classes.
Many investors also like to speculate on the price movements of NYSE shares using derivatives. These include options contracts, which change hands on regulated exchanges like NYSE Arca and NYSE American, also part of the broader NYSE Group.
Derivatives based on NYSE-listed shares are found on other global exchanges as well. Many brokers also offer a suite of CFDs which feature NYSE-listed shares as the underlying asset.
The NYSE isn’t just about equities trading, however. Other listed securities include:
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs).
- American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).
- Corporate and government bonds.
- Closed-end funds.
Bottom Line
The NYSE is home to some of the world’s biggest and best listed companies. Their market-leading positions, strong balance sheets and multiple revenue streams mean they’re in constant high demand from retail investors. And so the number of brokers offering exposure is vast.
However, the range of US shares — and the method by which they offer exposure — differs among service providers. Take this into account, along with the charges you can expect to pay alongside the quality of the trading platform.
But most importantly, ensure that the brokerage you’re considering is authorized by a top-level national regulator (like the SEC, FINRA and/or CFTC in the US).