With a growing number of senior traders and heads of desk turning to outsourced trading firms as an alternative to the traditional career ladder, Natasha Cocksedge unpacks what is driving this migration, what outsourced providers value most from buy- and sell-side hires, and key outsourced misconceptions which must be addressed.

Firms are increasingly raising the bar when selecting external partners, with innovation capabilities becoming increasingly important alongside traditional operational performance, latest Citi report finds.

With the response window for The TRADE’s Outsourced Trading Survey 2026 set to close this week, Claudia Preece takes a look at key findings from last year’s iteration and unpacks exactly where the buy-side is focusing their attention as priorities continue to be focused on execution quality above all else.

Following the recent launch of The TRADE’s Outsourced Trading Survey 2026, Claudia Preece revisits findings from last year’s edition, which revealed notable shifts in the key challenges the buy-side are looking to tackle through outsourcing.

The outsourced trading space is reportedly booming, yet shock exits from staple providers in the space have shaken up the landscape providing opportunity to all those who remain and new entrants eyeing the sector.

The TRADE explores the factors which have been pushing buy-side towards outsourced trading are becoming deeply entrenched as the search for efficiencies, talent concerns and increasing market complexity all show no signs of abating, while more appeals of the concept are rising with each passing year.

As outsourced trading gains traction, Claudia Preece delves into what factors make for success in the space, pinpointing some of the main elements influencing the future landscape. As ever-larger players continue to make real moves, costs rise, and expectations placed on providers increase, only those with truly effective offerings will reap success as consolidation continues.