Abbott at virtual Nasdaq Closing Bell Ceremony: 'Texas is the modern embodiment of the American dream'

The Nasdaq Stock Market held a virtual bell ringing ceremony in which Gov. Greg Abbott had the honor of ringing the closing bell, according to the Office of the Texas Governor. This event took place at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, demonstrating Texas's robust economic standing.

"With an annual GDP of $2.4 trillion—the eighth-largest economy in the entire world—and more Fortune 500 companies than any other state in the nation, we are America’s economic juggernaut," Abbott said in the release. "As so many business owners in our great state know, Texas is the modern embodiment of the American dream," Abbott said, according to the release. "One thing is clear, 187 years after Texas was founded, there has never been a better time to be a Texan," said Greg Abbott.

To add more context on this event, the ceremony was held at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin, with Abbott joined by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Nasdaq Executive Vice Chairman Ed Knight and Head of Listing Karen Snow, stated by the release. The governor, Knight and Snow rang the bell after some remarks during a live broadcast before a global audience, according to the release.

It is noteworthy that this wasn't Gov. Greg Abbott's first notable participation within stock exchange activities. According to an Oct. 2 report from Austin Journal, Abbott rang the closing bell at New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to mark Texas Capital Bank’s (TCB) launch of its new Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) & Funds Management division and flagship Texas Capital Texas Equity Index ETF (NYSE Arca: TXS) in New York City.

Citing the governor’s office, it reported that among all 50 states in Union, Texas boasts most listings on NYSE and is only one with its own ETF.

The strong position of Texas extends, not just into its trading activity, but also its employment figures. The governor’s office reported that October employment data reveals the continued leadership of the Lone Star State in annual jobs growth nationwide, with the state setting new records with the largest civilian labor force ever at 15,162,100 and more Texans being either employed or self-employed than ever before, reaching a count of 14,536,800.