indiviudal trading vs. institutional

From what i've seen, it seems as if the lack of people delving into trading out of their own brokerage might be confirmation that personal trading is inherently more difficult than with a firm. Given the education and wherewithal that a fund such as optiver or twosgima etc... can provide, I'm surprised to almost never encounter people who spend a few years with these funds and then feel comfortable to trade on their own terms, or even upper level directors that most definitely have the personal capital to deploy on their own. Perhaps this is more common than I realize, a dynamic of "gangstas move in silence" since their is little need to advertise that you trade out of your own book on Linkedin. So is this all down-stream of the possible fact that institutional trading is inherently at an advantage over individuals? Whether it be via the sheer amount of liquidity, or strong IP, or smarter quantitative strategies?

6 Comments
 

Just look at the "basis trade" - funds make a fuck ton but its because they're trading with size (thousands of contracts per trade / hundreds of millions of $) since the price difference is de minimis. Can't be replicated in a PA, you'd make nothing

Also institutions get a lot of flow, something you'd also wouldn't get as an independent

 

No that’s not what flow means. I’m pretty sure he’s referring to spreads being made, where offers are lifted, what sales people are hitting them up for in terms of direction, size etc

 
Most Helpful

The strategies you're employing as an institutional are significantly different than an individual portfolio, and it's why your individual trading experience if it's ever on a resume means absolutely fuck-all.

Options market making with the required delta hedging and capital is something that most retail traders will never be able to take part in. You actually do see some traders at strong HFT D1 shops running D1 crypto MM algos on the side and getting active there because it's less capital intensive.

 

Works at Akuna Capital LLC:

The strategies you're employing as an institutional are significantly different than an individual portfolio, and it's why your individual trading experience if it's ever on a resume means absolutely fuck-all.



Options market making with the required delta hedging and capital is something that most retail traders will never be able to take part in. You actually do see some traders at strong HFT D1 shops running D1 crypto MM algos on the side and getting active there because it's less capital intensive.


Helpful thanks

 

Esse velit at enim. Accusamus eos mollitia eos eos. Eaque id reprehenderit pariatur tempora possimus qui et.

Esse velit alias pariatur. Sit molestiae distinctio saepe quod. Et minus qui earum impedit. Beatae sed necessitatibus quia et vero dolor. Amet quo dolorum est qui voluptatem laborum delectus. Dolor libero doloremque architecto iusto.

Vitae cupiditate et qui omnis voluptates. Et accusantium sit sed enim nihil ut et. Omnis qui ut vel distinctio quasi. Ut aut est harum optio placeat eum molestiae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”