Börside

Börside, sometimes written börsidan in Swedish, is a term used in Nordic financial language meaning literally "the exchange side" (from börs, stock exchange, and sida, side). Historically it referred to the part of a stock exchange where trading took place—the trading floor—where brokers, clerks and market-makers executed orders, often with open outcry. The börside encompassed both the physical space and the social routines of trading on the floor, including the roles of brokers, runners and specialists.

In modern settings, most large exchanges operate electronically and the traditional trading floor has diminished in importance. As a result, the term börside is less common in everyday finance and many texts use "trading floor" or "exchange" instead. When used, it is typically in historical accounts or in descriptions of fixed-structure trading venues.

Usage notes: Börside can sometimes be used in a metaphorical sense to refer to the buying side or selling side of the market (investors who buy versus those who sell); however this usage is not standard and the more common terms are buy side and sell side, or köpsidan and säljarsidan in Swedish.

See also: stock exchange; trading floor; market microstructure; buy side; sell side.