Wholesale banking is the provision of services by banks to the likes of large corporate clients, mid-sized companies, real estate developers and investors, international trade finance businesses, institutional customers (such as pension funds and government entities/agencies), and services offered to other banks or other financial institutions. In essence, wholesale banking services usually involve high value transactions.
Wholesale banking contrasts with retail banking, which is the provision of banking services to individuals.
(Wholesale finance means financial services, which are conducted between financial services companies and institutions such as banks, insurers, fund managers, and stockbrokers.)
Modern wholesale banks are engaged in: finance wholesaling, underwriting, market making, consultancy, mergers and acquisitions, fund management.