Stock refers to the smallest unit of ownership in a company or asset. The first stock exchange was established in the 18th century in India by the East India Company. There are two main types of stock: common stock, which usually carries voting rights, and preferred stock, which does not carry voting rights but receives dividend payments first. A stock exchange facilitates the buying and selling of stocks between buyers and sellers through an electronic trading system. The Securities and Exchange Commission regulates stock exchanges in Bangladesh. The two main stock exchanges are the Dhaka Stock Exchange and the Chittagong Stock Exchange.