The history of stock markets can be traced back to the 17th century when the first stock exchange was established in Amsterdam, Netherlands. At that time, people traded shares of the Dutch East India Company, which was one of the largest companies in the world at the time. Read the article to understand more about the history of stock markets.

Read the article to find out about how different companies opt for raising capital via the primary market route.

Beneath the glitz are numerous brainstorming sessions of dedicated, hard-nosed teams of number-crunchers who are out to divine one truth — the right IPO valuation.

The short-term strategy of flipping (the next chapter explains this concept) your shares is com-monplace in the trading world. Most people expect to make considerable gains on the listing day

Investing in an IPO is no mean feat. You have to compete with lakhs of investors to get a few shares allotted.

If you make payments to other parties, you may have to deduct tax before you do so. This is called Tax Deducted at Source or TDS.

Just a few weeks ago, there were ‘doomsday sayers’ all around. They said the Indian rupee is all set to fall to Rs 80 to the US dollar.

State governments levy professional tax on people who earn a living through their profession. The tax rate differs from state to state.

Stock markets are a reflection of the expected profits in the future. This is why investors should always research about a company - not just its history, but also its future outlook.