Wall Street is synonymous with financial activity in the United States as well as around the world. It is one of the largest financial institutions that can be found anywhere and the geographic location has come to also be known as a term used when referring to big business and the stock markets, in general.

Location

Wall Street is located in lower Manhattan and runs east from Broadway down to the East River. Wall Street serves as the center of New York’s Financial District and held the distinction of being the first permanent location of the New York Stock Exchange. Most of the New York financial firms that once called Wall Street home have moved to different locations while Wall Street has continued to be considered the center of the financial universe in the United States.

Similar Entities

There are few other financial institutions that are as large as Wall Street around the world. London’s Square Mile and some of the financial centers that can be found in Tokyo are the closest comparisons that can be found when looking worldwide. Chicago, Illinois and the stock market exchanges that are located there draw close comparisons to Wall Street when looking for comparable locations within the United States.

The Term

The term “Wall Street” is synonymous with big business and the stock markets. Research analysts, shareholders, and investment banks are generally what people are talking about when they use the term Wall Street. The term that is used to indicate often opposing interests to those of Wall Street is “Main Street.” Main Street refers to the interests of small businessmen, as a whole. Many times, people will talk of economic changes that will help one, but hurt the other. Political candidates will often say that they side either with Main Street or with Wall Street depending upon their political stance and the constituency they plan to represent.

Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is one of the world’s most influential daily newspapers. Based out of New York the WSJ deals with anything and everything financial in the United States culture and economy, as indicated by its name. At one time, the Wall Street Journal was able to boast the highest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, but has since been taken over in the ranking by USA Today. The Wall Street Journal continues to be the financial guide most read and trusted by individuals who have interests in the financial and big business world.