TOKYO, PLANTATION, Fla. and HONG KONG, June 30, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monex, Inc. ("Monex"), TradeStation Securities, Inc. ("TradeStation") and Boom Securities (H.K.) Ltd. ("BOOM"), wholly owned subsidiaries of Monex Group, Inc. (TSE:8698), jointly report in "Monex Global Retail Investor Survey, Vol. 1" that Japanese investors have improving expectations of their own market and more positive expectations for global markets than customers in both the U.S. and Hong Kong.
Monex, Inc. has been conducting its monthly investor survey since October 2009 with its Japanese clients. The "Monex Global Retail Investor Survey" will be conducted on a quarterly basis and will cover retail clients from Japan, Hong Kong and U.S.
The report uses the Diffusion Index (*DI) to assess investor sentiment.
(*DI = Percent of positive responses – Percent of negative responses)
Summary Findings: (The full Monex Global Retail Investor Survey can be found at https://media.globenewswire.com/cache/9656/file/10763.pdf)
Japanese investor expectations for the Japanese stock market improved slightly and are more positive than for either U.S. stock or Chinese stock markets.
- Expectations for Japanese stocks improved slightly with DI improving 4 points from 12 points to 16 points.
- Expectations for U.S. stocks declined 14 points, with DI dropping to 8 points from 22 points.
- Chinese stocks DI declined 11 points to 3 points from 14 points.
Retail investors are cautious, but Japanese investors' expectations for global stock markets are more positive than investors in the U.S. or Hong Kong.
- Japanese investor DI : 8 points
- U.S. investor DI : -27 points
- Hong Kong investor DI : -4 points
"The data indicates that expectations by retail investors may have been influenced greatly by current market conditions at the time the survey was taken ("trend follow"). 'Trend follow' tendency can be observed in all three regions. In particular U.S. and Hong Kong investors seemed to be more pessimistic on their market outlook," the study found.
Japanese investor expectations for the JPY became more positive from May to June.
- Investors expecting the JPY to appreciate increased from 22% to 28%.
- Investors expecting the JPY to depreciate decreased from 49% to 37%.
When asked the question "Which currency do you think will outperform the most over the next 3 months?", investors in the regions showed different expectations.
- U.S. investors favored the USD with 37% expecting it to perform best.
- Japanese investors were mixed; USD 27%, EUR 23% and JPY 29%.
- Hong Kong investors were also mixed, but with a slight favoring for the CNY.
The Monex Global Retail Investor Survey measures customer sentiment based upon answers to specific questions received from a random sampling of customers of Monex, Inc., TradeStation Securities, Inc., TradeStation Forex, Inc., and Boom Securities (H.K.) Ltd. Details of the methodology used to conduct the survey are available upon request. Accuracy and completeness of the data derived from the survey is not guaranteed.
The information contained herein should not be construed as investment research or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities, securities derivatives, futures or off-exchange foreign currency products or services. Investor sentiment derived from the survey responses is no guarantee of future performance or success.
Active trading regardless of asset class (equities, options, futures, foreign exchange) carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Relevant risk disclosures are available at www.tradestation.com
About Monex Group Inc.
Monex Group Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 1st section: 8698), including its main subsidiary Monex Inc. (Tokyo, Oki Matsumoto, Chairman and CEO), an online securities brokerage, provides advanced and unique financial services to individual investors. Monex Group has been a pioneer among Japanese online securities brokers since the complete liberalization of commissions and fees in stock brokerages in 1999. Monex relentlessly strives to offer its customers in Japan innovative products and services and has established its reputation as a unique independent financial institution group. Its services cover M&A advisory, debt & equity underwriting, asset management focusing on alternative investments, investment education, and other investment banking functions along with an online distribution network to more than 1.2 million individual investors in Japan.
Monex Group aims to globalize its customer base and businesses in addition to enhancing its global product line and services. Specifically, in recent years, Monex has embarked on an ambitious plan to strengthen its products and services globally by focusing its expansion efforts to date on the growing Chinese market by opening representative offices in Beijing and acquiring BOOM Securities (H.K.) Limited and its group companies in Hong Kong. As a core element in the further expansion and global diversification of its businesses, it has been seeking opportunities to expand into the U.S. market, which it saw as the missing pillar in achieving a truly global platform. The acquisition of TradeStation provides Monex with an immediate expansion and strong commercial presence in the U.S. online brokerage market.
About TradeStation Group, Inc.
TradeStation Group, Inc. through its principal operating subsidiaries, TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Forex, Inc., offers the TradeStation analysis and trading platform to the active trader and certain institutional trader markets. The TradeStation platform offers state-of-the-art electronic order execution and enables clients to design, test, optimize, monitor and automate their own custom Equities, Options, Futures and Forex trading strategies.
TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, NSCC, DTC, OCC & NFA) is a licensed securities broker-dealer and a registered futures commission merchant, and also a member of the Boston Options Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, International Securities Exchange and NASDAQ OMX. Its TradeStation Prime Services division, based in New York, seeks to provide prime brokerage services, including securities lending, to small and mid-sized hedge funds and other firms. TradeStation Forex, Inc. (Member NFA) is a Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer (RFED) that exclusively provides the company's forex brokerage offering. The company's technology subsidiary, TradeStation Technologies, Inc., develops and offers strategy trading software tools and subscription services. Its London-based subsidiary, TradeStation Europe Limited, an FSA-authorized brokerage firm, introduces UK and other European accounts to TradeStation Securities, Inc. and TradeStation Forex, Inc.
About Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited
Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited ("BOOM") offers multi-market and multi-currency online securities trading services to investors all around the world. With BOOM's proprietary web-based trading platform, investors can trade equities in all major exchanges and manage different major currencies via one single account. Currently, it offers access to securities listed on over 17 stock markets in 12 countries. In addition, BOOM also develops trading solutions for other financial institutions.
Being the first company to launch Internet stock trading in Asia/Pacific, BOOM introduced a new pattern of self-directed cross-border investment by applying new technology to traditional equities trading and financial services. BOOM aims to provide retail investors with PRIVATE, EASE, SPEEDINESS and INEXPENSIVE international stock trading services.
BOOM is a fully licensed Broker / Dealer regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Hong Kong. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monex Group, one of the largest online financial services providers in Japan.