What is Equities Trading?
The term equity trading and stock trading are sometimes used synonymously; however, there are a few minor differences between the two. Let’s start with the basic definition; equity trading is essentially the purchase or sale of company stock through one of the major stock exchanges, just as stock trading is. An equity trade can be placed by the owner of the shares, through a brokerage account, or through an agent or broker; again, similar to stock trading. The key difference between equity trading and stock trading lies in their investment options and management firms. Equity trading firms specialize in offering in-depth market research, trading expertise, unique trading systems (even algorithmic), and have direct access to the trading floor for better executions. These equities trading firms predominately exist in the form of hedge funds and are setup to trade within a larger investment bank; such as, Morgan Stanley, Goldman, Sachs, JPMorgan, and Bank of America to name a few.