The year stock traders became an endangered Wall Street species

Frankfurt

SOMEHOW, the longest bull market in stocks has completely bypassed banks' equities traders. Buying and selling shares for clients such as hedge funds, mutual funds and other investors used to be a key business for investment banks.

They built up large trading desks during the stock market booms in the 1990s and early 2000s, luring traders with six-figure pay cheques and generous bonuses.