WASHINGTON, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:
TAKING STOCK
Profile America — Monday, May 18th. The New York Stock Exchange, by signaling business prospects through share prices, has long been a bellwether of the nation's economic health. The exchange started this week in 1792, as some two dozen merchants and brokers established an organized approach to their buying and selling. In good weather, they operated under a Buttonwood tree on Wall Street. Otherwise, they moved to the shelter of a nearby coffeehouse to continue their trading. This makeshift setup eventually evolved into an economic powerhouse, watched closely each trading day to see how the bulls or bears are assessing the overall U.S. economy. Thirty years ago, only 7 percent of U.S. household wealth was held in stocks and bonds. Today, that figure is around 15 percent, with a median value of $20,000. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.
Sources:
Stock exchange history: http://www.nyx.com/en/who-we-are/history/new-york
Household wealth in stocks 1984: http://www.census.gov/people/wealth/files/Wealth%20Highlights%202011.pdf
Median value (Table 1) and percent households in stock & funds (Table 2): http://www.census.gov/people/wealth/files/Wealth_Tables_2011.xlsx
Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).
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SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
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