The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is the UK's largest and most important stock exchange. It is also one of the oldest financial centres in the world and the most international of all exchanges. It belongs to the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), created in 2007 with the merger of the London Stock Exchange and the Milan Stock Exchange. Its shares have been traded on the London market under the symbol "LSEG" since 2001. The London Stock Exchange offers its clients extensive access to capital markets in various asset classes and international markets such as equities, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded products and currencies. The Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) index or "Footsie" (the most popular and representative index of the British economy), for example, is listed on the LSE. The beginnings of the London Stock Exchange began in Jonathan's Coffee House in 1698, where John Castaing published a list of currency, stock and commodity prices. But it was in 1801 that the first regulated exchange was established in London, giving birth to the modern stock market. Over the years, the LSE has continued to expand, introducing innovations such as the real-time price display system in 1970 and the cross-listing mechanism between the LSE and the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2019. These initiatives aim to constantly improve its services and broaden access to the financial markets available.