The life of a trade does not begin and end with the simple exchange of securities and cash between two counterparties. Instead, a trade's lifecycle is an involved multistage process requiring the participation of numerous entities and systems.

This eCourse introduces the trade lifecycle, its various stages, and the key participants at each stage. The tutorial also describes some of the major traded asset classes, different types of trade such as long and short positions, and features such as straight-through processing (STP) that define modern trading.

On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify the key stages of the trade lifecycle, including pre-trade, trade execution, trade clearing, trade settlement, and post-trade position management
- Recognise some of the major traded asset classes and different types of trade
- Identify the key participants in a trade, including the various intermediaries involved
- Recognise features of market evolution such as growing automation, the role of AI and machine learning, and efforts to shorten settlement cycles

Life of a Trade – An Introduction
Topic 1: Trade Lifecycle
Topic 2: Asset Classes & Traded Products
Topic 3: Market Participants
Topic 4: Market Evolution