Amid China Worries, Investors Turn More Bearish on Outlook for U.S. and Global Equities

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TOKYO and PLANTATION, Fla. and HONG KONG, Sept. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TradeStation, a Monex Group company (Monex Group, Inc. is listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, code: 8698) and an award-winning broker-dealer and futures commission merchant, today announced results of the “Monex Global Retail Investor Survey, Vol. 18.” The survey found that U.S. investors who use the TradeStation online platform continued to lower their expectations for global and domestic equities heading into the final quarter of 2015.

Results of the online survey, which was conducted in September 2015, show that these U.S. investors’ perception of the global equities markets further deteriorated over the summer. Barely one-quarter – 26% – of U.S. survey respondents now expects global stocks to gain ground in final quarter of 2015, down from the two previous quarterly surveys conducted in June and March, where expectations for growth were 35% and 52%, respectively. The percentage expecting global equities markets to decline over the next three months more than doubled, to 51% from 25% in June.

Concern about dramatically slower economic growth in China and the recent sharp drops in Chinese stock prices may be coloring investors’ perceptions of their broader outlook for global equities. When asked if they thought China could achieve its GDP growth target of 7% this year, more than half of survey respondents (56%) said no, with just 8% saying the target can be achieved. Moreover, a strong majority of respondents (69%) expect China’s currency to further depreciate against the U.S. dollar.

More bearish market sentiment appears to have had only limited impact on investors’ expectations for their own trading activity. When asked about their own trading volume over the next 12 months, more than half (52%) of respondents said they expect to increase their trading volume, only a modest decline from 61% in the June survey.

“As we’ve seen in previous surveys, active traders and investors aren’t inclined to sit on the sidelines, even under the most challenging market conditions,” said Salomon Sredni, CEO of TradeStation Group, Inc. and COO of Monex Group, Inc. “A majority of TradeStation clients say they’ll increase their trading volume over the next year. Our job is to make sure they have the tools and resources that can help them succeed.”

Options/futures remain the investment vehicles of choice, with 72% of those surveyed saying options/futures present attractive opportunities in 2015, compared to 49% and 46%, respectively, for ETFs and stocks. Healthcare topped the list of favored market sectors, with 72% of survey respondents expecting this sector to continue to experience gains over the next three months.

As for changes in Federal Reserve Bank monetary policy, 62% of survey respondents expect the Fed to begin raising interest rates by the end of this year, though 38% do not expect the Fed to take action until 2016 or later.

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.

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. 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 IBFX, Inc. (a/k/a TradeStation Forex), 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 Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monex Group, Inc., one of the largest online financial services providers in Japan.

TradeStation Securities, Inc. (Member NYSE, FINRA, SIPC, NSCC, DTC, OCC & NFA) is a licensed securities broker-dealer and a registered futures commission merchant (FCM), and also a member of BATS’s BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA Exchanges, BOX Options Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, International Securities Exchange, NASDAQ OMX BX, NASDAQ OMX PHLX, NASDAQ Stock Market, NYSE Arca and NYSE Mkt. 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 provides the company’s forex brokerage offering, and IBFX Australia Pty Ltd (ASIC regulated) provides forex brokerage services outside of the United States. The London-based subsidiary, TradeStation Europe Limited (FCA regulated), introduces UK and other European accounts to TradeStation Securities, Inc. and IBFX, Inc. The company’s technology subsidiary, TradeStation Technologies, Inc., develops and offers strategy trading software tools and subscription services, and hosts the TradingApp® Store.

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.

CONTACT: Monex, Inc.
         Yumi Matsuzaki
         +81-3-4323-3800
         
         TradeStation Securities, Inc.
         Loren Lopez
         +1 (954) 652-7011
         
         Monex Boom Securities (HK) Limited
         Grace Chow
         +852-22558880

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