Financial Management and the Secondary Market for Common Stocks

The secondary market for common stocks in the United States has undergone significant changes since the 1960s. Discuss those factors responsible for the Changes

Financial management is a rather complicated matter of study. At the same time, it is rather interesting as it allows people to understand the latest trends in the markets of goods, services or stocks so that to develop their business activities accordingly. This paper will focus on the changes that the secondary market for common stocks in the USA has faced since the 1960s as reflections of the financial situation in the country.

To begin with, it is necessary to define the common stock market and understand its importance for the economy and business. The common stock market, thus, is the means by which investors exercise their rights for influencing the company’s decisions in accordance with the share of the common, or preferred stock, they possess. The major difference between the preferred and the common stocks lies in the fact that the owners of the former are entitled to receive their share of the company’s benefit before the owners of the latter can do this¹. So, the common stock market is a more developed phenomenon, which faced considerable changes in the second half of the 20^th century.

First of all, the market for common stocks has become more globalized in the course of the 20^th century. Secondly, this market experienced a certain kind of liberalization. And thirdly, it has been subject to the high-tech revolution in the sphere of technology and telecommunication, which provided for the division of common stock markets into the organized exchanges and over-the-counter trades (OTC)² in which trading is carried out through modern telecommunication between the sellers and the buyers in various areas of the world. Accordingly, the following factors influenced the above mentioned common stocks market changes:

1. Institutionalization
2. Governmental regulation shift
3. Telecommunication innovations

In more detail, the institutionalization of the market of the common stock lied in the fact that the market switched from the work with retail brokers and small investors to the domination of large institutionalized market players that carry out either block trades of a single name of stock for $200, 000 or more, or basket trades aimed at selling or buying stocks of numerous companies within a single trading operation³. At the same time, the decrease of the governmental control over stock markets allowed the brokers to eliminate the fixed commission for their operations and provided both brokers and market players with greater flexibility in their activities. One became able to offer a competitive price or choose from a number of such offers. Finally, the telecommunication innovations allowed the secondary market for common stocks to develop into an international phenomenon with trading opportunities spread overseas.

To conclude, the market for common stocks in the United States has faced considerable challenges since the 1960s. They were conditioned by such factors as the institutionalization of the market, decrease of the governmental control over the market operations and pricing policies, and the revolution in telecommunication which provided the market with the opportunities for international development.

References

Fabozzi, F. J., Modigliani, F., Jones, J. F. & Ferri, M. G. (2002). Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall.

Footnotes

1. Fabozzi, F. J., Modigliani, F., Jones, J. F. & Ferri, M. G. (2002). Foundations of Financial Markets and Institutions, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, p. 322
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid., p. 349