The Vienna stock exchange was founded in 1771 by the Empress Maria Theresa. In the first years of its operation, the exchange served mainly to trade in the market of bonds and promissory notes. Special intermediaries, brokers, responsible for the smooth functioning of trade. Austrian national Bank in 1818 became the first public company, trading in its shares on the Vienna Stock Exchange.

In connection with the political and economic significance of the Habsburg monarchy at the time, the exchange soon received international recognition. The economic boom brought a wave of speculative companies on the stock exchange. The current trend has led to the collapse of the stock market in may 1873. About 90% of all listed companies disappeared. It took decades to recover from the shock. Industrial enterprises shifted from finding financing through the stock market to receive loans from major banks, which had become one of the most important factors for the market. At the same time, there was a need to develop new rules and laws for gaining momentum trade. In 1875, signed the Law of the Vienna Stock Exchange, which exchange guarantee complete autonomy and uninterrupted trading. In 1877 occurred the opening ceremony of the new building of the Vienna exchange, built by the architect Theophil von Hansen.

In the twenty-first century, the exchange continued to develop steadily — currently the Vienna stock exchange monitors trading on the Austrian electricity exchange, is the owner of the Hungarian stock exchange and has close partnerships with many trading platforms.