How to Create Investment Goals

When it comes to investing, goal-setting is a vital step toward achieving financial success. Achievable goals can help you narrow your focus, stay motivated, and create a plan. In this article, you will learn the importance of goals and the steps to take.

#1: DETERMINE YOUR GOALS

Start by determining exactly what you want to achieve. Common investing goals include saving up for child’s education, retirement, and a house. Good investment goals need to be SMART. SMART stands for the following:

Specific: Setting a specific financial goal requires laying out the purpose for why you want to save.

Measurable: Financial goals need to be easily measured to help you assess your progress.

Achievable: Setting goals that are not achievable can diminish your motivation and steer you away from your path.

Relevant: A good investment goal should align with your values and beliefs.

Time-Bound: Calculate how much you need to save monthly or weekly to achieve your investment goal by providing a sense of urgency.

#2: SELECT YOUR INVESTMENT STRATEGY

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), there are different types of goals such as short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Short-term goals can be achieved in less than three years and may be suited to liquid investments such as cash and money market accounts. Mid-term goals that can take up to ten years can be allocated to balancing your portfolio, fixed-income investments, and stocks.

Lastly, long-term goals that can last more than ten years can take a more aggressive approach such as investing in stocks, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds.

#3: TAKE SMALL STEPS

New investors and those who are more risk-averse can start small to get a better understanding of the process. Adjustment to the investor’s approach can make goals more realistic and achievable.

#4: SEEK PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

Countless social media pages and credible blogs provide financial advice about investing and other topics. Many investing platforms have educational resources on their website. It is up to you to do your research and seek professional support when needed.

BOTTOM LINE

Assess your investment goals as early as possible to avoid difficulties and complications. Planning and execution of your investment processes require a level of discipline and commitment. Start small if the process feels overwhelming and watch your nest grow.

Sources: 1 & 2

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How Traders Can Improve Their Investment Returns On The moomoo Platform

Traders are always on the lookout for that little factor that will help improve their competitive edge. That is because they trade in high frequency, and may even take on leverage to help upsize their positions. Full-time traders who trade for a living might want to take note – moomoo trading app is the perfect online platform to take your game to the next level.

moomoo is a one-stop investment platform powered by FUTU. In Singapore, products and services on moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. a brokerage and custodian licensed and regulated by the MAS. Here’s how traders can potentially improve their investment returns on the moomoo platform at every step in their investment journeys.

Step 1: Investment Opportunities

At the beginning of a traders’ typical journey, they could already be overwhelmed by the myriad of investment opportunities in the market. Ignoring the market noise and finding a winning investment is akin to finding a needle in the haystack. Here is how moomoo app can help in several ways:

  • Heat Map

moomoo’s Heat Map directly show the ups and downs of each sector in the market through the block size and colour depth. From one image, it gives a quick overview of the lay of the market for that trading day.

  • Star Institutions

There is a saying that “if you can’t beat them, join them”. With the Star Institutions page on the moomoo app, you will very quickly obtain high-value information such as:

  • List of stocks by star institutions such as Warren Buffet, Soros Holdings, Temasek Holdings etc
  • The historical trend of holdings, and the daily transaction information of individual stocks

With the Star Institutions, you will identify the investment targets of star institutions and be able to ride the trend powerfully.

Step 2: Analysis

A key product feature of moomoo app is the availability of Short-Sell Data. Users can view the daily short selling data and ratio of US and HK stocks, as well as the current open positions. To access Short-Sell Data, simply go to Analysis under the individual stock page.

Short-Sell Data is critical in assisting traders to identify long and short sentiments to form an outlook of a specific stock. This will ensure that traders stay with the trend, or at least understand the size of the opponent if they choose to take a contrarian position.

Step 3: Executing The Trade

The time has finally come for the trader to execute their trades. On the moomoo trading platform, users can be assured of efficient trading execution of their strategies to maximise profits.

Desktop users can fully customise their trading windows for a multi-monitor experience and leverage on more than 89 types of drawing tools and indicators. Furthermore, trades are executed as fast as 0.037 seconds and at very competitive pricing.

In addition, users can leverage on moomoo’s AI Monitor function to automatically monitor changes in each market and all stocks of their choice. This will allow them to stay updated on stock fluctuations, increase in trading volumes and seize fleeting investment opportunities.

Sign Up via moomoo App Now for your FUTU SG securities account!

Finally, who can say NO to Welcome Rewards valued at around S$2,000? Here are the steps (not cumulative) to ensure new users receive the Welcome Rewards from moomoo powered by FUTU:

  1. Register for a moomoo ID
  2. Successfully open a FUTU SG Securities
  3. Make a First Deposit of at least S$2,700 and above & immediately you will receive an Apple (AAPL) share and S$40 stock cash coupon, promotion ending on 30 November 2021, 0959 SGT.
  4. Transfer in some shares into the platform and depending on your shares values, you will be rewarded with more Apple (AAPL) shares or even the latest iPhone 13 (limited redemption)!

More terms and conditions of the Welcome Rewards can be found here. Download and sign up for moomoo app using this link today to give yourself a further cutting edge as a trader.

 

 

 

 

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What On Earth Is A Buyback?

Highlights

  • A buyback occurs when a company purchases its own shares in the stock market.
  • A repurchase reduces the number of shares outstanding. Thus, it inflates earnings per share.
  • A buyback can demonstrate to investors that the business has sufficient money set aside for emergencies.

WHAT IS A BUYBACK?

A stock buyback occurs when a company purchases shares of its own stock. It either retains the stock for resale to the market in the future or permanently removes the stock from the circulation.

This process reduces the total shares of stock outstanding and increases ownership stake that each remaining share of stock represents. It increases the value for the shareholders.

HOW DO BUYBACKS WORK?

Stock buyback plans are usually authorized by the company’s board and proposed by its executives. However, a planned buyback does not always occur. In some cases, the target share price a company chooses may not be met or a tender offer may not be accepted.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUYBACKS?

The diverse types of buybacks include the on-market and off-market buybacks. The former refers to when a company buys its own shares on an exchange in the ordinary course of trading.

In contrast, the off-market buybacks occur when the company makes its offer directly to the shareholders.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A BUYBACK?

Company XYZ had one million dollars in earnings and one million outstanding shares before the buyback. Thus, it equates to earnings per share of S$1. Trading at a S$20 per share stock price, its P/E ratio is 20.

With all else being equal, one hundred thousand shares would be repurchased and the new earnings per share would be S$1.11. To have the same P/E ratio of 20, shares would need to trade up 11% to S$22.22.

WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES TO BUYBACKS?

Buyback programs have come under scrutiny over the past few years. So, alternatives are important to know when understanding buybacks.

Other options include:

a. Using capital to acquire other companies or securities,
b. Returning cash on hand to investors in the form of dividends, and
c. Re-investing the capital in research and development.

Sources: 1 & 2

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Get a free Apple share worth around S$200 from now till 30 Sep 21

Get rewards of up to S$288 in value! Sounds too good to be true? Read on. 

Moomoo by moomoo Inc. is a stock trading platform that has launched in Singapore in March 2021 and have been offering attractive sign-up offers to expand their customer base. moomoo Inc. the company behind the trading app is a subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited, a company listed in NASDAQ (NASDAQ:FUTU) and backed by Tencent.

In Singapore, investment products available through the moomoo App are offered by to Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. (“Futu SG”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited. Futu SG is a broker-dealer and custodian licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, (License No. CMS101000).

From now till 30 September, they are giving away a free Apple Share to new customers who sign up during this period. As of 17 Sep, the share is worth 147.47 USD or around S$200 in value.

In addition, they are also giving you a S$88 cash coupon can be exchanged for cash in the moomoo app.

That is a total of S$288 in value we are talking about – and they are free once you complete the requirements.

Here’s how to redeem your free share

  1. Sign up for an account here and deposit a minimum of S$2,700, US$2,000 or HK$16,000 within 30 days of account approval. You will need to download the moomoo Trading App.
  2. Trade 5 times on any market and any product.

The free Apple share (AAPL) will be allocated to you automatically once you completed Step 2.

Tip: According to some users, you can easily complete Step 2 by buying and selling a non-volatile stock in the US market. That would make 2 trades. Do it 3 times to complete Step 2. Why US? Because you can buy a single share which sometimes cost you less than $10.

Other benefits of trading on the moomoo app

Investors can enjoy commission-free trades for 6 months plus free access to Market Data for US and SG stock exchanges. T&Cs apply.

If you are planning to start trading in stocks, this is a good start because you can enjoy unlimited commission-free trades in the US, HK & SG markets.

In addition, you also get free real-time quotes and market data for US, SG and China A share markets.

* T&Cs apply. Subject to price fluctuation. 

Money Digest receives monetary and other forms of compensation from Affiliates for various advertising, sponsorships (such as sponsored posts or sponsored stories within our editorial content), insertion orders, commercial messaging, and other promotional campaigns that we feature on our website.

 

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Follow These Steps To Acquire Stocks In Singapore

With an abundance of low-cost investment brokerages and a wide range of investment products, we believe that anyone can get started on investing. Unless your ambition is to become a day trader, you do not need to master technical analysis or complex charting techniques.

Simply carve out your path by following these steps.

#1: OPEN AN INVESTMENT BROKERAGE ACCOUNT

Unlike your comfort food, stocks cannot be bought at a store and taken home in a paper bag. You need to go through an account with an investment brokerage. A brokerage is a company or firm that acts as the middleman to connect you to the stock exchange.

Brokerage companies usually receive compensation by means of commissions or fees that are charged once the transaction has been completed. Brokerage accounts charge through minimum fees (i.e., to pay on each trade) or trading fees (i.e., percentage of each trade). These fees will affect your profits, so ensure that you do your research.

#2: FUND YOUR ACCOUNT

It is necessary to transfer money to your account to begin trading. Take note of the brokerage company’s requirements such as the minimum fee.

These companies generally accept multiple funding methods such as PayNow transfer, FAST transfer via online banking, or overseas remittance. Use a method that suits you best.

#3: DETERMINE WHICH STOCKS TO INVEST IN

Do your research, ask financial questions, and compare the facts to determine which stocks to invest in. There are different types of investment products such as Blue chip stocks and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

Blue chip stocks are the stocks of well-known, high-quality companies that are leaders in their industries. Investors usually hang on to these stocks for long periods and collect its dividends. Local “blue chips” include Singtel, DBS, and ComfortDelGro. Many Singaporean investors prefer to invest in blue chip stocks because of its perceived certainty and stability. Local blue chips are deemed to be less risky and are often common household names that most Singaporean investors can relate to.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) allow you to buy shares in a variety of properties. For instance, CapitaLand and Ascendas gives you access to purchase shares in commercial properties such as shopping malls and office buildings. It is one of the most popular options for investors seeking regular income.

#4: ACQUIRE YOUR FIRST SHARES/STOCKS

Once your funds have been sorted out, you can buy your first shares/stocks using your brokerage’s online platform. As a beginner, you may make investing a regular habit by spending a fixed amount every month on generic Exchange Trade Fund. The Exchange Trade Funds (ETFs) are similar to mutual funds in many ways. Although, ETFs are bought and sold throughout the day on stock exchanges.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

The idea is that over the long term, the ETFs will rise. By buying a fixed sum every month, you will be able to spread out your risk through ups and downs. Consistently funding your account is key.

Sources: 1 & 2

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