As year-end draws in, many of us opt to look back on the 12 months that have passed, reflecting on the highs and the lows. Last year was a turbulent one in many regards.
Around half of the world’s democratic population saw a regime shift, not least the major election result seen in November in the US.
While markets are at all-time highs following the election – the S&P was at 22 times forward earnings in November – volumes have remained somewhat muted. Many had been holding back in anticipation of the result and are now expecting to re-engage meaningfully in Q1.
Internally at The TRADE, 2024 it was a year of significant milestones. In celebration of our twentieth birthday, our small but mighty team busied itself launching new events and products.
In October, we held a standalone Rising Stars of Trading and Execution event at Plaisterer’s Hall, in partnership with Instinet. Also, for the first time in The TRADE’s history, we hosted our inaugural Leaders in Trading New York awards ceremony at Chelsea Piers in November and we couldn’t be prouder of how the evening turned out.
This special celebratory edition of The TRADE Magazine celebrates all this and more with The TRADE ‘Top 20’ lists highlighting the greatest trading innovations to be brought to the trading desk and marking the most impactful M&A deals since our inception.
Featuring as our cover star and meet the desk interviews in this edition we have our Leaders in Trading New York Trader of the Year – Hedge Fund winner, David Alfred, and winner of the Fixed Income Trading Desk of the Year, T. Rowe Price.
You’ll also find in-depth features exploring industry themes, including bilateral trading, as well as write ups of our glittering awards nights and swathes of other content designed to delight you.
Take a look below for more detail on the Q4 content:
Buy-side cover interview – Trader of the Year Hedge Fund: Conversant Capital’s David Alfred
Annabel Smith sits down with the winner of the Trader of the Year – Hedge Fund Award at The TRADE’s inaugural Leaders in Trading New York, Conversant Capital’s David Alfred, to explore the role of hedge funds in the changing US landscape post-election, unpack his journey to the trading desk, and share advice for those starting out in his field.
The 20 greatest trading innovations
In celebration of The TRADE’s 20th birthday, editor Annabel Smith rounds up the 20 greatest trading innovations of the last few decades, exploring the solutions that have overhauled and reimagined the processes that traders depend on day in and day out to execute in the markets.
In depth: Liquidity, it’s a two-way street
Annabel Smith explores the growth of bilateral trading volumes in European equities, unpacking how the ascension of this increasingly complex segment could impact future liquidity and whether it is something regulators will assess further.
The TRADE announces Leaders in Trading 2024 award winners
More than 300 industry leaders gathered at The Savoy Hotel in London to celebrate their achievements throughout the year.
Meet the Desk: The T. Rowe Price fixed income desk on making an impact
T. Rowe Price’s global fixed income trading desk speaks to Claudia Preece fresh off the back of the firm’s Fixed Income Trading Desk of the Year Award win at The TRADE’s Leaders in Trading New York 2024 event, unpacking the importance of an integrated, collaborative approach to trading and leveraging individual talent to maximise team wins, as well as how life on the desk could look different in the not-so-distant future.
The 20 biggest mergers and acquisitions of the last two decades
As The TRADE celebrates its 20th birthday, Claudia Preece rounds up 20 of our most read merger and acquisition deal stories from across market structure and the trading world, delving into the minutiae of these landmark deals and unpacking their significant, lasting impact on the market.
The TRADE announces Leaders in Trading New York 2024 award winners
More than 150 industry leaders gathered at Chelsea Piers in New York to celebrate their achievements throughout the year.
The TRADE’s Rising Stars of Trading and Execution 2024
To celebrate 10 years of the Rising Stars initiative, The TRADE – in partnership with Instinet – hosted a standalone event this October to mark the occasion and recognise this year’s incoming cohort. Meet them here!
Closing bell: Buy vs build: Will we reach pragmatic parity in 2025?
Open-source technology, the great cloud migration and tech accelerators have changed institutions’ calculations when it comes to developing trading technology, writes Matt Barrett, chief executive and co-founder at Adaptive.
Read the full issue here.