The Trade Lifecycle: Behind the Scenes of the Trading Process
Every person working in an investment bank or hedge fund has a large part of his work connected to the lifecycle of a trade. It is the glue by which all the departments are bound and the aggregated success or failure of each trade determines the survival and growth of the entire organization. Trading has evolved from a humble apple grower wanting a stable price for his produce come harvest time, to a complex and exciting industry comprising a significant share of the global economy, and more recently, taking a hand in saving it. It is the fundamental activity of investment banks, hedge funds, pension funds and many other financial companies. There is no better way to understanding the workings of a financial institution than to follow the progress of a trade through all of its various stages and all the activities performed upon it.
