Order execution
Securities Analysis / Trading · Trader
“Order execution” (Securities Analysis / Trading) was largely replaced by AI in 2015, after AI entered in 2005.
What this task is
Traders carry out buy and sell instructions from portfolio managers, deciding when and how to place each order so as to minimize market impact and cost, and then tracking how the order is filled.
How AI replaces it
From 2005, algorithmic trading spread quickly: execution algorithms such as TWAP and VWAP, plus smart order routing, automatically slice and time orders. By 2015, most institutional orders were executed by algorithms and floor shouting had largely disappeared.
What stays human
Execution traders now choose and tune algorithms, watch for anomalies during the trading day, and handle block trades and illiquid securities that still require human negotiation with counterparties.