Ethan

6.45 AM

I start my day with some orange juice, log on to the office machines from home and begin setting up our fixed income options book for trading as the electronic market opens at 7am.

7.15 AM

Our office in Hong Kong finish their trading session and hand over the global trading book to us for the European and US hours. I really enjoy being able to trade collaboratively with other traders from across the globe. I also finish setting up the rest of the products by ensuring all our tools and systems are working properly.

7.40 AM

The morning Zoom meeting with all traders starts and I provide a small summary of general market news and upcoming economic figures before the heads of each desk give a more detailed view of their markets. This meeting has been a new development since we started working from home and helps keep everyone in touch and informed.

8.00 AM

European indices open and there is a flurry of trading. This is usually the busiest part of the day with lots of opportunities available so I pay extra attention to our trades and quoted prices.

9.00 AM

Trading normally quietens down at this point so I grab some breakfast whilst my colleague watches over the trades. This is also a good time for me to work on any coding projects I have. However, I am always prepared for the market to pick up again and communicate with my colleague via Zoom whenever I feel we need to make changes to our setup.

12.30 PM

I take a short break for lunch and to stretch my legs. In the office we would normally order food so working from home has forced me to improve my cooking skills.

 

2.30 PM

The US market opens which starts another busy period of trading. There's some excitement as the market rallies on the back of some promising economic data and we take advantage of this to execute some good trades.

3.15 PM

There is less trading now and I take this opportunity for a brief break to get some fruit and refocus before the last hour. I also do some stretching which helps me stay relaxed and focused.

4.30 PM

We actively flatten our position to ensure we are better hedged against any overnight news as the European market closes. I send a summary of the day to the other traders and discuss with my team what changes we can make to our setup to improve our performance.

6.00 PM

I finish work on some of my projects and hand over the global trading book back to our Hong Kong office. It's been a busy and productive day and I am ready to log off and hang out outside with my family and friends.