Monex Global Retail Investor Survey Shows U.S. Stocks Seen as Best Bet Among Survey Respondents from the U.S. and Japan Despite Sharp Declines in Expectations

Forecast for world stock markets down among retail investors in the U.S., Japan, and China (Hong Kong)

PLANTATION, Fla., Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TradeStation Group, Inc. ("TradeStation"), a Monex Group company whose operating subsidiaries provide award-winning*, self-clearing online brokerage services for trading stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and crypto that aim to offer the ultimate trading experience, announced the results of the 30th Monex Global Retail Investor Survey. The survey, which gauges customer sentiment based on answers to specific questions from a random and anonymous sampling of customers of Monex, Inc., TradeStation Securities, Inc., and Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited, shows investors are taking a pessimistic view of global markets for 2023. 

Investors in all three regions surveyed, the U.S., Japan, and China (Hong Kong), tempered their expectations for the first three months of 2023. The forecast Diffusion Index (DI), which measures the percentage of respondents who answered "will rise or improve" minus the percentage of respondents who answered "will fall or deteriorate," for the world's major stock markets declined significantly, with the sharpest drop seen in the U.S. (declining 61 points compared to the previous survey conducted in December 2021, resulting in a score of negative 39).  For the first time since 2015, more respondents in all regions answered markets "will fall or deteriorate" than "will rise or improve." 

Despite the declines in expectations, survey respondents from the U.S. and Japan viewed the U.S. as the region with the greatest likelihood of stock price appreciation in the first quarter of 2023. While it was not the top regional pick for Chinese (Hong Kong) investors, as 57% of survey respondents from China (Hong Kong) believe Asia, excluding Japan, is the region with the greatest likelihood of stock price appreciation in the first quarter of 2023, 30% of those surveyed from China (Hong Kong) did believe the U.S. would be the region with the greatest likelihood of stock price appreciation in the first quarter of 2023.  

"While it is clear that the U.S. and global economies have stumbled more recently, particularly amid persistent inflation and ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, we do see reasons for cautious optimism," said John Bartleman, President and CEO of TradeStation Group, Inc. "Early indicators are showing an easing of inflationary conditions and while the job market in the U.S. is not as dynamic as it was a year ago, it remains in good shape."

About the Survey 
The Monex Global Retail Investor Survey, covering random and anonymous retail clients in Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.S., was launched in June 2011 to gauge client sentiment surrounding market conditions. The 30th edition surveyed 1,853 respondents from Monex, Inc., TradeStation Securities, Inc., and Monex Boom Securities (H.K.) Limited between December 14 to December 27, 2022. The full report is available here: 2022 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.  
Founded in 1982, TradeStation Group companies provide innovative fintech decision-support analysis and order-placement tools that support self-directed traders and investors in their journey 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. In April 2022, TradeStation commissioned the Miami Bull, an 11-foot, 3,000-pound statue, presented in Miami to both honor the city and champion the latest fintech technologies that have emerged around the world, including the emergence of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and decentralized finance.

TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, NSCC, DTC, OCC, NFA & CME) is a subsidiary of TradeStation Group, Inc. that 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. is a subsidiary of TradeStation Group, Inc. that 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.