Monex Global Retail Investor Survey Reveals Optimistic Expectations for U.S. Stocks as COVID-19 Pandemic Continues

PLANTATION, Fla., Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TradeStation Group, Inc. ("TradeStation"), a Monex Group company and an award-winning*, self-clearing online brokerage for trading stocks, ETFs, options, futures and crypto, today announced the results of the 29^th Monex Global Retail Investor Survey. The survey, which gauges customer sentiment based on answers to specific questions from a random sampling of customers of Monex, Inc., TradeStation, and Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited reveals high expectations for U.S. stocks among retail investors in Japan, the U.S., and Hong Kong, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Many investors anticipate U.S. stock prices to continue to rise. Retail investors in all three regions answered that the U.S. is the region with the greatest likelihood of stock price appreciation in the coming three months.

"The U.S. economy remains strong. Employment is steadily recovering and could reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022. We're cautiously optimistic about U.S. market conditions in the year ahead, though we expect continued volatility as the world grapples with virus variants, supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures," said John Bartleman, President of TradeStation Group, Inc. "As we continue to invest in TradeStation Crypto, we are also encouraged by the growing interest in the space, based on the survey's results."

Other key findings reveal:

• Investment in cryptocurrency among retail investors is becoming more widespread globally. The percentage of retail investors replying that they had already invested in cryptocurrency was 33.1% in the U.S., 19.6% in Japan and 18.4% in China, reaching all-time highs in each country since this question was first introduced.
• However, 36.6% of respondents in the U.S., nearly half in Japan (49.1%) and 33.2% in China cited a lack of interest in cryptocurrency.
• The forecast Diffusion Index (DI) for the world stock markets rose significantly among respondents from Japan but fell among respondents from the U.S. and China.

About the Survey
The Monex Global Retail Investor Survey, covering retail clients in Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.S., was launched in June 2011 to gauge client sentiment surrounding market conditions. The 29th edition surveyed 2,053 respondents from Monex, Inc., TradeStation Securities, Inc., and Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited between November 19 to November 28, 2021. The full report is available here: 2021 Monex Global Retail Investor Survey.

About Monex Group, Inc.
Monex Group, Inc., listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (security code: 8698), has grown to become a major online financial institution that operates online retail brokerages in Japan, the U.S., China (including Hong Kong), and Australia. In addition, Monex offers business services in international forex, asset management, investor education, and M&A advisory.

Monex Group aims to create a new type of financial group for a new era. At its core, Monex offers crypto asset banking operations and online brokerage services that link the world's financial markets by bringing together Coincheck's cryptocurrency trading, storage, and payment capabilities with the expertise and technology of our online brokerage operations in Japan, the U.S., China, and Australia.

About TradeStation Group, Inc.
TradeStation has, for decades, been a fintech pioneer in its support of self-directed traders and investors in their journeys to claim their financial edge. TradeStation provides award-winning trading and analysis platforms and self-clearing online brokerage services for stocks, ETFs, equity and index options, commodity and financial futures, futures options, and cryptocurrencies. These trading platforms are accessible on desktop, Web and mobile, as well as via API technologies which seamlessly provide access to TradeStation's brokerage environment through third-party platforms. TradeStation's offerings also include deep and growing learning content designed to build confidence among those new to investing and hone the skills of seasoned traders.

TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, NSCC, DTC, OCC, NFA & CME offers self-clearing equities, options, futures and futures options brokerage services as a licensed securities broker-dealer and futures commission merchant (FCM), and is a member of major equities and futures exchanges in the United States. TRADESTATION SECURITIES, INC. IS A MEMBER OF NFA AND IS SUBJECT TO NFA'S REGULATORY OVERSIGHT AND EXAMINATIONS. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE NFA DOES NOT HAVE REGULATORY OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY OVER UNDERLYING OR SPOT VIRTUAL

CURRENCY PRODUCTS OR TRANSACTIONS OR VIRTUAL CURRENCY EXCHANGES, CUSTODIANS OR MARKETS. TradeStation Crypto, Inc. offers self-clearing cryptocurrency brokerage services under federal and state money services business, money-transmitter and similar registrations and licenses. TradeStation Crypto, Inc. is not subject to NFA's regulatory oversight and examinations.

* Visit TradeStation.com/Awards for more information.

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 privacy, 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 Japan's largest online financial services providers.

SOURCE TradeStation Group, Inc.