What are the differences between asset management and investment banking?

Asset management and investment banking are basically opposites of one another. Asset management = "Buy Side" and Investment Banking = "Sell Side". These are the terms that are used on Wall Street.

Here's an example that may help you to understand the difference. (keep in mind these numbers are totally made up!)

Let's say that IBM wants to buy Intel for $500 million dollars but they don't have the cash to do this...so what do they do? Well, one thing they can do is go to their trusty investment bankers (Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, etc.) and say "Hey investment banker, how do we get this $500 million dollars"? So the investment bankers will do some work (due diligence, research, etc) and come up with the idea that IBM should sell $500 million of debt. So then the bankers do some more work and the Company pitches the deal to potential accounts (clients, investors,etc). This is why investment banking is called the sell side.

Ok, so now we know that Morgan Stanley has done its work and IBM is ready to sell $500 million of bonds. Well, who do they sell to? This is where asset management comes in (and asset management is a very broad term). Basically asset managers are people that manage money for institutions, individuals, companies, etc. The figure out where to invest money. In this IBM example, asset managers who invest in corporate bonds (like IBM) might be interested in buying some of the issue (the issue = $500mm that IBM is seeking). This is the reason asset management is oftern referred to as the buy side.

There are other differences between investment banking and asset management since the example I gave you is a very narrow focussed answer...but I think it should give you at least somewhat of an idea as to the difference.

well to start with lol assets are what you own right now, like car, home, boat ect. investments are what you speculate in or you think will get bigger as time goes on, like stocks, housing market, produce like corn wheat and such. You got money in both one you already own the other you are hoping will grow bigger as time goes on.

Asset Management is managing the money or assets. Investment banking is making deals helping companies M&A, issues stocks, bonds, borrow money, lending money and bringing companies public etc...

Assest management is managing investments for a customer, by either manking investment decisions or organizing a customers financial data and investments (depends how it's used).

Investment banking is a bank for companies, when companies what to bring new shares or bonds to market. The investment bank buys the stock or bonds from the company, then bring them to the exchange and try to sell them for more than they paid. So investment banking generally deals with the initial securities being brought to the secondary market. Invesatment banks have other services, but that if the main idea. Also investment banks however do not offer normal banking services.