Buyside Snapshot

Home Is Where ...

Madison, Wis., has its benefits, says David Meyer, the head trader at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board.

When Their Clients Talk ...

To some money managers, "high-touch" means the desk knows exactly what the client wants and how he wants it. That's the philosophy at Ferguson Wellman, a firm in Portland, Ore., where almost everyone in the investment business--including investors--knows your name.

High-Frequency Trading Divides Buyside

When a veteran like Robert Shapiro says he isn't sure exactly how high-frequency traders operate and how they impact institutional orders, then it's safe to say that he is not alone.

Charting the Way to Alpha

Portfolio managers at Boston Private Bank & Trust lean on Keith Gentile for more than trading.

Ted's Heat Map

Over the past eight years, Lord Abbett & Co. has embraced electronic trading with an almost religious fervor.

More Brokers, More Flow

Independent analysis and market intelligence are critical for Hugo Molina, who runs the desk and trades international equities for Philadelphia International Advisors.

Hurry Up and Trade!

The trading desk of money manager Galbraith Capital has little patience with stocks that don't produce immediate gains.

The Small-Cap Roller Coaster

Be careful not to drive up prices and wait for natural situations. That is the philosophy of two Wells Capital Management traders in Portland, Ore. Their portfolio managers' investment discipline is value-based for the office that has $1 billion under management.

A Trader's Next Step

The market run-up of April into early May was good news for Peter Cocuzza, an equity trading veteran of 28 years. A rising market typically means more trading volume, and for someone looking for work, as Cocuzza is, that's a godsend. "I'm starting to get the feeling that things are starting to turn," said the former senior trader at Oppenheimer Funds.

Split over Short-Sale Rules

Buyside traders disagree over the need for new short sale rules.

A Trader's Trial by Fire

HGK Asset Management's Lauren Wimer's short trading career has been a trial by fire.

Old-School Trading Up North

Canada is not the United States. It is a place where culture is trumping trading technologies. It is a place of "old-school trading," says Kelly Reynolds, the head equity trader at a buyside shop specializing in small-cap, value investing in Montreal.

With an Ear to the Ground

Michael Fenske, a 12-year veteran, explains the daunting task that financial traders have faced since last March, when the fall of Bear Stearns unofficially launched the current loss of faith in markets: "I've worked harder and longer this past year than any other in my career."

Bright Lights of Trading

Tools work, but people are better. That sums up the philosophy of Ryan Larson, head equity trader of Voyageur Asset Management. He believes human judgment in trading has become more important as markets have become more electronic and fragmented.

Taking the Program Wheel

Kevin Chapman has seen it before: tight capital, plunging markets and high volatility. The main difference between today and past markets is a matter of timing-and degree.