What company was the first to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange?

The Bank of New York was the first company to be listed and publicly traded on what became the New York Stock Exchange.

Founded in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton, the Bank of New York was one of the earliest major financial institutions in the United States. It opened during the fragile years after the American Revolution, when New York merchants wanted a reliable local bank to support trade and credit.

The NYSE traces its formal origins to the Buttonwood Agreement, signed by 24 New York brokers and merchants on May 17, 1792. In the exchange’s earliest period, only a small number of securities were actively traded. The Bank of New York was among the first, and historical accounts commonly identify it as the first company publicly traded on the new exchange.

This question can be confusing because the early market also traded government bonds and shares associated with institutions such as the Bank of North America and the First Bank of the United States. The Bank of New York later became part of BNY Mellon, but its historical connection to the NYSE belongs to the original Bank of New York founded by Hamilton.