Investment management

Investment management is the professional management of various securities shares, bonds etc. and to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of the investors. Investors may be institutions insurance companies, pension funds, corporations etc. and more commonly via collective investment schemes.

The term asset management is often used to refer to the investment management of collective investments, whilst the more generic fund management may refer to all forms of institutional investment as well as investment management for private investors.

Investment managers who specialize in advisory or discretionary management on behalf of private investors may often refer to their services as wealth management or portfolio management often within the context of so-called private banking.

The provision of investment management services includes elements of financial analysis, asset selection, stock selection, plan implementation and ongoing monitoring of investments. Investment management is a large and important global industry in its own right responsible for caretaking of trillions of dollars, euro, pounds and yen.