Securities Operations: A Guide to Trade and Position Management

Introduction

To many people, the inner workings of the securities industry are regarded as a mystery that only a limited number understand. The degree of complication regarding securities trading or trading related activities can be very high and difficult to comprehend.

That which follows the act of trading, generally termed operational activities, may seem initially to be as mysterious as trading. However, such activities are in reality a series of logical steps, most of which are relevant and comparable to any company trading in any goods.

Whilst training people on the topic of securities operations, it became very apparent that little material exists as a means of gaining an understanding of the essential concepts and the connectivity between the operational activities; the logical result of continued requests for recommended reading is represented within these pages.

This book is aimed at a number of different types of reader:

• those who are new to the securities industry;
• those who have had some involvement with securities operations and who seek a broader understanding;
• those who have worked in specific areas of securities operations and who seek a deeper knowledge of how prior actions affect their role and how their actions affect others subsequently.

The content of the book should be relevant to those who fall into the second and third categories above, whether the reader has gained experience within a securities trading organisation (such as traders, salespeople, trade ...