Asset Management: firm that offers institutional investment management including a range of equity strategy solutions, fixed income products, pension management services, and alternative investment management.
Electronic Communications Network ("ECN")/ Electronic Executions: An electronic system that disseminates information to interested parties about the orders entered into the network and allows these orders to be executed. ECN's internally match buy and sell orders or represent the highest bid prices and lowest ask prices on the open market.
Floor Broker: firm that executes transactions on an exchange floor on behalf of the firm's clients and other broker/dealers.
Hedge Fund: firm that manages a portfolio of investments that employ advanced strategies including, but not limited to leveraged, long, short and derivative positions in both domestic and international markets with the goal of generating absolute returns or returns over a particular benchmark.
Investment Banking: firm that assists public and private corporations in raising funds in the capital markets (both equity and debt) and advising companies on matters related to the issue and placement of securities.
Market Making: firm that maintains a bid and ask price in a given security by standing ready, willing, and able to buy or sell securities at publicly quoted prices.
Prime Brokerage: firm that offers bundled packages of services including securities clearing facilities to hedge funds and other professional investors.
Private Wealth Management/ Private Banking: firm that offers premium financial services to high net worth individuals or accredited investors.
Proprietary Trading: firm that engages in trading activity on behalf of its own accounts and assumes the market, credit and other financial risks associated with that activity.
Retail Brokerage: firm that trades securities on behalf of its retail customers.
Wholesale/ Institutional Brokerage: firm that conducts a brokerage business with institutional customers including corporations, mutual funds, trusts and other institutions.
Other: Select this category only if the above categories do not reflect, in a broad sense, the business activities of your firm.