— such ▁as ▁mer gers ▁and ▁ac quis itions , ▁lever aged ▁fin ance , ▁public ▁fin ance , ▁asset ▁fin ance ▁and ▁le asing , ▁struct ured ▁fin ance , ▁rest ruct uring , ▁equ ity , ▁deb t ▁issu ance . ▁ ▁Sales ▁and ▁trad ing ▁On ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁bank ▁and ▁its ▁clients , ▁a ▁large ▁invest ment ▁bank ' s ▁primary ▁function ▁is ▁bu ying ▁and ▁s elling ▁products . ▁▁ ▁In ▁market ▁making , ▁trad ers ▁will ▁buy ▁and ▁sell ▁financial ▁products ▁with ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁making ▁money ▁on ▁each ▁trade . ▁ ▁Sales ▁is ▁the ▁term ▁for ▁the ▁invest ment ▁bank ' s ▁sales ▁force , ▁whose ▁primary ▁job ▁is ▁to ▁call ▁on ▁institution al ▁and ▁high - net - worth ▁invest ors ▁to ▁suggest ▁trad ing ▁ideas ▁( on ▁a ▁cave at ▁em pt or ▁basis ) ▁and ▁take ▁orders . ▁Sales ▁des ks ▁then ▁communicate ▁their ▁clients ' ▁orders ▁to ▁the ▁appropriate ▁trad ing ▁rooms , ▁which ▁can ▁price ▁and ▁execute ▁tr ades , ▁or ▁structure ▁new ▁products ▁that ▁fit ▁a ▁specific ▁need . ▁ ▁Struct uring ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁relatively ▁recent ▁activity ▁as ▁derivatives ▁have ▁come ▁into ▁play , ▁with ▁highly ▁technical ▁and ▁numer ate ▁employees ▁working ▁on ▁creating ▁complex ▁struct ured ▁products ▁which ▁typically ▁offer ▁much ▁greater ▁marg ins ▁and ▁returns ▁than ▁underlying ▁c ash ▁se cur ities . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁invest ment ▁banks ▁came ▁under ▁pressure ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁s elling ▁complex ▁derivatives ▁contract s