1. About how many stock exchanges exist in the world? Which geographic region has the greatest number of exchanges? Sample features of stock exchanges on each continent at http://www.tdd.lt/slnews/Stock_Exchanges/Stock.Exchanges.htm . What characteristics do all the exchanges share?
2. What four measures are the most important indicators of the health of the economy? What are the other leading economic indicators? Go to a financial news source to find out the status of all the economic indicators at this time. Make note of your findings and the date for purposes of comparison. How does the information inform you as an investor? Discuss with classmates the implications of the economic indicators for investing. For example, read the results of the most recent Consumer Confidence Survey at http://www.conferenceboard.org/economics/ConsumerConfidence.cfm . How might these survey results inform you as an investor?