The TRADE is proud to launch The Outsourced Trading Handbook for 2026, in collaboration with its sister title Global Custodian, marking the fourth edition of this dedicated annual publication. 
This latest publication comes off the back of a year in which talent has taken centre stage in outsourced trading, with personnel moves across the industry, buy-side heads of trading joining providers, and firms telling us they are hiring for skills that go well beyond pure execution.
In the past 12 months, much of the coverage on The TRADE’s website has revolved around personnel moves: some between existing rivals, others where firms exiting the space have launched talent into the market, and, finally, from the buy-side to the world of outsourced trading.
Additionally, providers tell us they are buying skills beyond execution, namely relationships, judgement and temperament: the ability to read what a portfolio manager actually wants and treat someone else’s order with the same care you’d give your own book.
The features in this issue delve into unpacking why senior institutional talent is moving to outsourced trading (page 7), as well as taking the handbrake off to ask the question the sector doesn’t love: what about the firms that looked hard at outsourcing and said no (page 16)? We spoke to buy-side heads of trading who have been through the evaluation first-hand, for a genuinely useful corrective.
As for the survey, we are incredibly proud of both the participation and the depth of analysis. Produced in partnership with Ergo Consultancy this year’s survey is its fourth iteration and, after receiving ratings from 23 firms, has enough data to spot a trend rather than just describe a snapshot.
Within the handbook, our annual survey explores three pieces that paint a picture of consistent talent inflow. Firstly, the global average rose to 6.05, the first ever increase in the survey’s history. Secondly, ‘relationship management’ has overtaken execution as the top-scoring category. And thirdly, ‘technology and automation’ debuts as the weakest. Elsewhere, 73.1% of respondents rated their provider ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, with remarkably nobody scoring below ‘satisfactory’, and the three-year march towards full outsourcing has gone into reverse, with co-sourcing edging back into the lead.
Together with the features and thought leadership, we believe this issue delivers the most comprehensive view of the outsourced trading world to date, and we’re looking forward to keeping that picture current as the market keeps moving.
Access the handbook here.