TOKYO, PLANTATION, Fla. and HONG KONG, April 3, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TradeStation Securities ("TradeStation"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Monex Group, Inc. (TSE: 8698), which also includes Monex, Inc. ("Monex") and Monex Boom Securities, today announced the results of the "Monex Global Retail Investor Survey, Vol. 8," revealing that U.S. investors have turned more bullish on the prospects for domestic stocks and the U.S. dollar in the second quarter of 2013 – despite their decidedly more murky outlook on global equities.
In the online survey conducted in March 2013, U.S. investors remained pessimistic about global equities, with 39% predicting they would turn down in the second quarter of 2013, versus just 33% predicting that global stocks would rise, and 28% predicting that they would remain flat. The survey results also made clear that domestic economic concerns remain primarily responsible for investor pessimism, with nearly half of all respondents (47%) citing what they perceive as the still-struggling U.S. economy as the most important factor influencing their investment decisions.
Despite this concern, U.S. investors were relatively upbeat about the outlook for U.S. stocks and the U.S. dollar. Whereas in the previous quarterly survey conducted in December just 43% of TradeStation customers expected U.S. stocks to outperform stocks in Europe/U.K., Asia (excluding Japan) and Japan, that number rose 14 points to 57% in March, easily outpacing the 23% of U.S. investors who expect Asian stocks (excluding Japan) to perform best over the second quarter of 2013. TradeStation customers were also more bullish about the U.S. dollar, with nearly half (49%) expecting the dollar to outperform the other major currencies in the next three months, up from 35% in December's results.
Moreover, this more upbeat view was reflected in respondents' expectations for their own trading volume over the next 12 months. More than half of those surveyed (56%) expect their trading volume to increase over the next year, while just 9% expect it to decrease.
Monex has been conducting its monthly retail investor survey with its Japanese clients since October 2009. The "Monex Global Retail Investor Survey," covering retail clients in Japan, Hong Kong and the U.S., was launched in June 2011 and is conducted on a quarterly basis. Please refer to the full report for complete results.
Although TradeStation customers remain relatively positive on the outlook for China, concerns about the slowing Chinese economy were clearly apparent in this quarter's survey results. Thirty-five percent of respondents cited China as the economic area outside their own that would experience the strongest GDP growth in 2013, down 12 points from the December survey results. U.S. investors were also somewhat less bullish about prospects for South America – only 26% cited South America as the region that would experience the strongest GDP over the next 12 months, versus 35% in the December survey.
The survey results also indicate that U.S. investors fully expect the Federal Reserve to continue its policy of monetary easing well beyond the current year. When asked when they expect the Fed to begin to "taper" or end its asset purchases, only one in four respondents (25%) cited the first or second half of 2013; by contrast, nearly half of all investors (49%) cited the first or second half of 2014, while roughly a quarter (26%) expect current Fed policy to remain unchanged into 2015 or later.
"The survey results suggest that despite a tough global trading environment we see reason for continued optimism in U.S. equities, and hope for a stronger U.S. dollar," said Salomon Sredni, CEO of TradeStation Group, Inc. and COO of Monex Group, Inc. "With investors poised to increase their trading volume, TradeStation is committed to providing the powerful trading tools they'll need to identify and act on these developing opportunities."
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., IBFX, Inc., and Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Ltd. Details of the methodology used to conduct the survey are available upon request. The survey is not scientific, and the 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 presented solely for informational purposes and is not a guarantee of future performance or success.
Active trading regardless of asset class (equities, 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 IBFX, Inc. offers the TradeStation analysis and trading platform to the active trader and certain institutional trader markets. The TradeStation platform offers 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. IBFX, 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 IBFX, Inc.
About Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited
Monex 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.