human
I've always been a little confused about how the stock market works. Can you explain it to me?
assistant
The stock market is an exchange where buyers and sellers of stocks can trade shares of publicly traded companies. When a company decides to issue new stock, they must first decide on the number of shares that will be created, as well as their price per share. This is done through a process known as “initial public offering” (IPO). Once the IPO is complete, the newly issued stock is then listed on the stock exchange and available for purchase by investors.