The following is a definition of “STOCK MARKET” as provided by Investopedia.com:
“The market in which shares of publicly-held companies are issued and traded either through exchanges or over-the-counter markets. Also known as the equity market, the stock market is one of the most vital components of a free-market economy, as it provides companies with access to capital in exchange for giving investors a slice of ownership in the company. The stock market makes it possible to grow small initial sums of money into large ones, and to become wealthy without taking the risk of starting a business or making the sacrifices that often accompany a high-paying career.”
I would suggest that, since various world Central Banks (A.K.A. financial policy-makers) have been busy buying into a variety of world markets since the bottom of the 2008/09 financial crisis, these former stock markets are no longer a “component of a free-market economy.” The Bank of Japan is but one example of this practice, as evidenced in their most recent policy statement issued on October 31st. Therefore, the markets that you have been (and are still) trading do not fall under the definition of a STOCK MARKET. Rather, they are entities totally under the control of Central Banks and no longer exist as stock markets.
