Stock Exchange

Stock Exchanges are an organized marketplace, either corporation or mutual organization, where members of the organization gather to trade company stocks and other securities. The members may act either as agents for their customers, or as principals for their own accounts.

Stock exchanges also facilitate for the issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments including the payment of income and dividends. The record keeping is central but trade is linked to such physical place because modern markets are computerized. The trade on an exchange is only by members and stock broker do have a seat on the exchange.

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Investment Bank

Investment Bank is a financial intermediary that performs a variety of services. This includes underwriting, acting as an intermediary between an issuer of securities and the investing public, facilitating mergers and other corporate reorganizations, and also acting as a broker for institutional clients.

Unlike commercial banks and retail banks, investment banks do not take deposits. There are two main lines of business in investment banking. Trading securities for cash or for other securities (i.e., facilitating transactions, market-making), or the promotion of securities (i.e., underwriting, research, etc.) is the "sell side", while dealing with pension funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, and the investing public (who consume the products and services of the sell-side in order to maximize their return on investment) constitutes the "buy side". Many firms have buy and sell side components.

The role of the investment bank begins with pre-underwriting counseling and continues after the distribution of securities in the form of advice.

Investment Banker is a person representing a financial institution that is in the business of raising capital for corporations and municipalities.

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