A day in the life of a MFM fixed income trader

I begin the workday at 6:45am, but with the European Fixed Income markets opening at 7 am, it is good to have some time to prepare for the day. After checking for any large overnight moves and news in foreign fixed income, equity, currency and commodity markets, I quickly assess where our main markets (German Government Bonds, European and UK Money Markets) are expected to open. I then begin the process of checking through any orders from the previous day that were not filled and I update clients with information on the open.

The great thing about being at MFM is the dynamic, fast environment. Interacting with the counterparties, market makers and the rest of my team means the day moves quickly. Before long it’s time for the US open outcry sessions. We usually have a critical data release for the day and you can notice how the markets are tense right before the figure. Throughout the day, we are keeping our contacts in touch on working orders, new developments and large option flows, as the most important thing in any market is keeping in touch with what is going on. At the end of the day, it’s time to check that all trades have been accepted at the clearers, and that any unfilled European market orders are unabled on the close. At 6pm, its time to go. I’ll leave the office knowing that, while I can predict some of things I will do tomorrow, there’s a whole host of things that will make the day completely different.