In the finance industry, there are two main sides of the business: the Buy Side and the Sell Side.
The Sell Side refers to banks, brokerage firms, and other financial institutions that sell financial products and services to their clients. This can include things like investment research, underwriting, and market-making. Essentially, the Sell Side helps clients buy and sell financial assets.
The Buy Side, on the other hand, refers to institutional investors like pension funds, hedge funds, and private equity firms that buy and hold financial assets. These investors are looking to generate returns on their investments by buying and holding securities like stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments.
So, to summarize, the Sell Side helps clients buy and sell financial assets, while the Buy Side actually buys and holds those assets in order to generate returns for their investors.
Many professionals work on both sides over the course of their careers.