Quantitative Associate

An applicant/hire who is studying for a PhD or equivalent degree in a highly quantitative discipline (e.g. Maths, Life Sciences, Engineering, Financial Economics) without any significant work experience.

Repo

Sale and Repurchase Agreements. These are agreements to sell bonds with a simultaneous agreement to repurchase these bonds back at a later date, typically less than one year. A repo effectively enables the holder of a bond to borrow money while using the bond as collateral with the lender.

Research

Research is responsible for analysing the economic, political and technical factors influencing the markets, supporting both the salespeople and traders, as well as their own direct client relationships.

Risk Finance

Provides the business with a key means of structuring, re-packaging and distributing more structured debt and complex asset pools. A variety of techniques and products are used to help credit risk, finance and portfolio management deliver profitable solutions. These include the use of complex credit derivatives, hedging techniques, and increased interaction with different product areas like securitisation, where separating risk from credit quality is vital.

Sales

Salespeople are responsible for building and maintaining client relationships, as well as providing clients with information about products and services, and marketing information to help manage risk. The firm’s salesforce is fundamental to our client-driven business model. Sales delivers the services of the firm to the client and also delivers the client’s business to the firm.

Secondary Market

A market that provides for the purchase or sale of previously issued securities or financial products. The general name given to stock exchanges and other market places in which stocks, bonds, mortgages and other investments are sold after they have been issued and sold initially.

Securitisation

A key product area and an important financing technique used to convert cash generating assets into marketable securities for sale to investors. The objective of securitisation is to separate business risk from the risk of sold assets. This enables investors to assess the credit quality and the cash flow of the pool of assets rather than looking to the business risk.

Solution Sales

This is a description of the area that encompasses corporate sales activities with the addition of tailored investment opportunities

Strategy and Planning

Barclays Capital constantly reviews its strategic options, competitive environment and set of capabilities. Strategy & Planning supports the senior leadership of the firm in developing and implementing the firm's strategic plans.

Structuring

Structuring is a division of Global Financing which consists of a group of specialist product teams sub-divided into four product areas: tax, conduits, structured bond issues and asset back securities. As a Business Area, Structuring involves developing new products to meet client requirements using high-level quantitative skills to create sophisticated solutions.

Swaps

Exchange of interest obligations between two parties, either fixed to floating rate, or vice versa, or a given notional period for an agreed time period. Currency swaps exchange interest flows in two currencies, and also include an exchange of principals in the two currencies.

Syndication and Loan Distribution

The activity in credit trading and risk that involves arranging and underwriting syndicated loans for target clients both in the primary markets, where we issue new bonds or loans for clients, and in the secondary markets, where we trade bonds and loans that already exist. We develop coordinated packages of solutions, incorporating loans. Individual and bulk loan sales are executed to facilitate management of the bank's loan portfolios. The liquidity of the structure of our loans is critical in ensuring a high turnover or re-selling of loans, benefiting both borrowers and lenders.

Tax Arbitrage

Trading that takes advantage of a difference in tax rates or tax systems as the basis for profit.

Technology

Technology developers build up the bank's technological capability by developing cutting-edge products. Technology infrastructure specialists support the bank's existing platforms, delivering technology support to users business-wide. The technology team also focuses on Business Areas, working closely with traders to make sure their needs are fulfilled.

Trading

Traders are responsible for buying and selling financial instruments to generate profit. At Barclays Capital traders deal in financial products related to interest rates, foreign exchange, equities and commodities foreign exchange, equities and commodities.

Tranches

A part or instalment, often of a large sum of money. Typically refers to different classes of securities e.g. 'A' Tranche and 'B' Tranche in a securitisation. Can also more generally mean an issue of a certain amount of securities e.g. a £100m "tranche". A part or instalment, often of a large sum of money. Typically refers to different classes of securities e.g. 'A' Tranche and 'B' Tranche in a securitisation. Can also more generally mean an issue of a certain amount of securities e.g. a £100m "tranche".

Underlying

The security or commodity that must be delivered when a contract or warrant is exercised. The price of the underlying is also the main factor that determines the prices of derivatives.

Vanilla

The most basic type of any product e.g. vanilla swap, vanilla option. Distinguishes it from more complex products, which are called “exotics”, whether a swap or option.

In the Community

We’re proud to be a socially responsible organisation which actively provides support, help and commitment to the communities in which we work. By contributing expertise and resources, we’re able to focus on social issues where we can make a difference.

We’re also committed to supporting the charitable activities of our employees who devote their time and resources to helping good causes. This helps to fulfil our responsibility as a good corporate citizen, as an employer, and as a firm that believes in initiative and partnership. Visit our gallery to view images of some of the good work done here.

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