Where are greater bonuses made? Trading Commo or Equ?

This is going to sounds very amateur - because i am! But I have a huge passion and knowledge (for someone of my age) in oil and have been offered a trading internship on both a commodities desk, so on the FICC floor, and in on the Oil companies desk in equities. I am completely undecided and actually have had very little chance to experience the desks within the bank i am applying too.

Firstly, is it easier to make (and lose) a lot of money in commo, given it's volatile nature or if you are flow trading does volatility not make a huge deal of difference to your p/l and bonuses. Actually, adding to this question, how hard is it to get on a prop desk at the likes of UBS, CS, HSBC? is this where every trader wants to be?

Secondly, from my very limited experience of trading floors it has seem that equities has had much younger, more vibrant, 'banterous' traders/salespeople/vibe. Is this often the case?

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jourdenneThis is going to sounds very amateur - because i am! But I have a huge passion and knowledge (for someone of my age) in oil and have been offered a trading internship on both a commodities desk, so on the FICC floor, and in on the Oil companies desk in equities.

I'd guess the FICC position would be slightly more interesting if you're that passionate about oil.

jourdenneFirstly, is it easier to make (and lose) a lot of money in commo, given it's volatile nature or if you are flow trading does volatility not make a huge deal of difference to your p/l and bonuses.

Volatility is generally helpful to any trader's pnl, though it's particularly helpful in market making (i.e. a flow desk).

jourdenneSecondly, from my very limited experience of trading floors it has seem that equities has had much younger, more vibrant, 'banterous' traders/salespeople/vibe. Is this often the case?

This is probably a desk-by-desk thing.

 

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