Trader

A trader is a specialist profession involved in the trading of securities, derivatives, and other goods. The term "trader" refers to a great many professions, but they all share the fundamental aspect of buying and selling goods. This can range from independent investors who trade on stock and commodities markets from their home computer, to professional salaried brokers that work for major galactic corporations.

High-volume trading is conducted through the use of computer algorithms or artificial intelligence, though the latter is highly regulated in some markets. Information is key to the success of these traders, and financial corporations often invest in expensive communications equipment to gain advantages measures in fractions of a second over others. This can extend to the personal level as well. An extremely popular cybernetic augment are "trading algorithms", a specialised computer installed to keep the user totally updated with stock fluctuations and predictions. More advanced models aid the user in face-to-face negotiations by analysing the emotional responses of organic partners. In addition to cybernetics, these systems are commonly installed in synthetic stock traders.

Ultimately, the role of traders is that of resource allocation. Most societies have the belief that markets are an efficient form of resource allocation, and thus trust the private sector to do so. Even in more planned economies, traders still have roles, usually trading government resources with foreign governments or corporations.

Type

Financial / Trade