
Buy Dutch shares
Do you want to buy Dutch shares? You can do this at the stock exchange in Amsterdam (Damrak, Beursplein 5), part of NYSE Euronext Inc. You can go there on weekdays from nine in the morning until half past five in the afternoon (time zone UTC+1, Central European time). Except for the weekend and on certain holidays when the stock exchange is closed.
In the Netherlands, you have many companies that are listed on the stock exchange, such as Shell, Delhaize, Unilever and Ahold. There are many other shares that also have many characteristics that are attractive in the investment world. Both novice and experienced investors benefit from taking in as much information as possible about different types of shares and how they can influence the market.
What does the Dutch stock exchange entail?
The Dutch stock exchange, or the Amsterdam stock exchange, has a rich history. It is the first stock exchange, and therefore the oldest in the world, where it is possible to trade in finance. In the time of the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, there was a greater need to be able to make investments. Since 1602, the VOC had been a multinational, and the largest of its kind. That is why it was decided to start trading in shares in Amsterdam, interchangeable products that were possible for investors. With the creation of this stock exchange and its shares, a world of investments was built up at the VOC.
Then there is the AEX-Index , founded in 1983. The first investors will still know this index as the EOE-Index, or the European Options Exchange. The concept was brought to the Netherlands from the US by Tjerk Westerterp. The decision of this director of an options exchange was made because he wanted it to be possible to trade with options . This was not self-evident at the time. The Netherlands was the first to achieve something like this with the AEX-Index, before France, Germany and England. The AEX once started with a price of 100. In 2000, a peak of 701.56 was reached, after which this price started to fall again until the lowest point was reached in the crisis of 2008/2009, also on the Dutch stock exchange. 200 points was the maximum that was achieved on the AEX index at the time.

How does investing in Dutch shares work?
You can buy individual shares as an investor, or invest in an index . With the latter, you can spread your investments, because you then invest in 25 different types of shares, which belong to the most well-known companies on the Amsterdam stock exchange. Just like with other stock exchanges worldwide, the Dutch shares are divided into different indices. These are the three most important indices:
- De Amsterdam Small Cap Index (AScX)
- The Amsterdam Midkap Index (AMX)
- The Amsterdam Exchange Index (AEX)
With these indices, you are dealing with 25 different types of shares. This means that the most important listed institutions are listed on the Amsterdam Exchange Index, from 1 to 25. The two other indices also have different listings: the Amsterdam Midkap Index has a listing from 26 to 50, and the Amsterdam Small Cap Index has a listing from 51 to 75. The different compositions of the three stock market indices are checked every calendar year. It may be the case that a change takes place, causing an already listed share within the stock market index to be exchanged for a new share. In addition to the three above-mentioned indices, investors have recently been able to invest in a new index: the Dutch15 Index. The biggest difference between these three indices and the new index is that Dutch15 makes it possible to invest only in Dutch shares.

Where can you invest in Dutch shares?
When you create an account with a broker , you can start investing in Dutch investment options, or shares. A broker is an intermediary, and makes it possible to buy or sell shares on the Dutch stock exchange. You can choose between different types of brokers, with all kinds of different shares. You can also choose between CFD shares and physical shares. What you choose depends on your personal preferences as an investor.
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