What is the sell side?

The sell side of Wall Street is the part of the financial services industry that create, sell, and service products for firms that buy financial products. This includes groups that sell equities to hedge funds or investment banks that advise firms on how to go about raising debt or equity. Most opportunities for college graduates are on the sell side. See below for descriptions of the main career opportunities on the sell side.

investment banking

Investment bankers advise companies on capital raising and large strategic financial decisions, like mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings. For more information on what investment banking is, or what investment bankers do, click on the "Learn More" button below. 

sales and trading

People who work in sales and trading work to facilitate transactions in the public markets for hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, or any large asset manager. A majority of people in these rolls work with the equities, derivatives, futures, and fixed income markets. If you are interested in learning more about sales and trading, click the "Learn More" button below.

equity research

People who work in equity research perform fundamental research on stocks in order to make investment recommendations to clients who work at hedge funds, mutual funds, pension funds, or any large asset managers. Equity research professionals monitor specific industries and form views on many of the companies within those industries. If you are interested in learning more about equity research, click the "Learn More" button below.