An informal term for the institutional investors on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In general, it refers to the asset managers who represent individual and institutional investors. The buy-side acquires investment products for the purpose of increasing their value (assets, holdings, etc). Buy-side firms mainly employ three types of professionals: portfolios managers who invest money on behalf of clients, research analysts who provide portfolio managers with investment recommendations, and marketing and sales professionals who distribute the investment products to investors, both individual and institutional.