Sell-Side vs Buy-Side
Also called: sell side, buy side, sellside buyside
The sell side creates, sells and services financial products — banks, brokers, research. The buy side invests: asset managers, hedge funds, pensions, insurers. The distinction shapes incentives more than tasks: the sell side is paid for transactions and access, the buy side for investment results, which is why the same analysis is written very differently depending on who signs the paycheque.