AMSTERDAM STOCK EXCHANGE (AEX) .AS

Founded in the early 1600s with the founding of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), whose shares are considered the oldest in the world. In September, 2000, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange merged with the Brussels Stock Exchange and the Paris Stock Exchange to form Euronext Amsterdam.

Euronext Amsterdam's three indexes are the blue-chip AEX, mid-cap AMX and small-cap AScX. Euronext is Europe's largest cash equities market and falls under the umbrella of NYSE Euronext, which operates several exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, Liffe and NYSE Arca Options.