The third-largest stock exchange by trading volume in the United States. In 2008 it was acquired by the NYSE Euronext and became the NYSE Amex Equities in 2009. The AMEX is located in New York City and handles about 10% of all securities traded in the U.S. |||The AMEX name was first changed to NYSE Alternext US, then became known as NYSE Amex Equities. It used to be a strong competitor to the New York Stock Exchange, but that role has since been filled by the Nasdaq. Today, almost all trading on the AMEX is in small-cap stocks, exchange-traded funds and derivatives.