London Stock Exchange, often called the LSE, is the main stock exchange in the United Kingdom. Brokers on the exchange buy and sell shares of stock in corporations based in the United Kingdom and other countries. The LSE is one of the world's oldest stock exchanges. It traces its roots to a group of brokers who began meeting at a London coffeehouse in 1760. The members named their organization the Stock Exchange in 1773 and began formal operations in 1802.