Investor Education

Taiwan has recently witnessed a surge in ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) investment. Reports even show that “monastics” have rushed to subscribe to high-dividend Taiwan stock ETFs, ultimately raising a record NT$175.2 billion (around HK$ 42.5 billion). This year, Taiwan has launched a series of popular ETFs tracking semiconductors, US bonds, and high-dividend momentum strategies. Statistics show that Taiwan’s ETF market has grown at a compound annual rate of nearly 40% over the past five years, ranking first globally. The total size has reached NT$3.9 trillion, second only to Japan and China in Asia, and is approximately a NT$1.5 trillion increase from the NT$2.3365 trillion at the end of 2022.

Hong Kong’s Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) has been reported with frequent news of losses, leading many to question its effectiveness. Aside from global economic and stock market influences, how can citizens get better prepared to safeguard their hard-earned savings or even invest for growth?

The JPEX crypto fraud has shocked Hong Kong, involving over HK$1 billion with nearly a thousand people allegedly defrauded. The platform offered some products with advertised annual returns as high as 20%. In the current high interest rate environment, the stock market offers little upside, fueling demand for high-yield products. Even the recently launched green bonds from the government saw better reception compared to previous years. Aside from bonds, what other fixed income products are worth paying attention to now?

I recently watched the newly released movie Gran Turismo, which tells the story of a video game player who becomes a famous race car driver. Compared to Barbie, another film released during the same period that ostensibly advocates feminism, this story that seems apocryphal lacks some popularity and gimmicks. However, its selling point of being based on a true story attracted me. I felt like “This is awesome!” after watching it.

In 2007, Apple released the first generation iPhone. 16 years later, Apple has planned to once again launch a globally groundbreaking product - Apple Vision Pro, a device that integrates digital content into the physical world, kicking off the popularization of the metaverse. Priced at $3,499, or about HK$27,467, it is expected to launch in the first half of next year. Some critics believe the retail price is too high. But is that really a fair assessment?

Recently there have been many box office hits in Hong Kong. But for a working mum like me, going to cinema is a luxury. Last month‘s release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie compelled me to find time for a cinema trip. Mario Bros. went from online to offline, and then leaped onto the big screen, constantly generating huge profits. No wonder even Netflix wants a piece of the video game market.

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s natural language dialogue model, gained 1 million users in just five days. According to a Statista report, it took the most popular social media Instagram and Facebook 2.5 months and 10 months respectively to do so, while the streaming media Netflix took 3.5 years. This shows how quickly AI technology has permeated our lives.

A friend recently shared her parenting plans, saying the rise of ChatGPT, the natural language dialogue model developed by OpenAI, has convinced her that the rote learning adopted in conventional schools is outdated and only international schools will suffice for her kids. In an era with information instantly available, AI is rendering memorization obsolete in education.

Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Meta, posted a selfie of his avatar on Facebook and Instagram to celebrate the launch of its virtual community platform Horizon Worlds in France and Spain. However, netizens mocked the metaverse platform in the photo for looking inferior to the PS1 games released in 1990s. Zuckerberg later conceded the photo was a rushed selfie he took.

The U.S. Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and quantitative tightening have triggered a massive reallocation of global capital, strengthening the U.S. dollar while weakening the Japanese yen. U.S. Treasuries have been heavily sold off, leading to a crypto market crash where cryptocurrencies once dubbed the “hedge currencies” are now seen as moving in tandem with the Nasdaq. Bitcoin prices have plummeted. Ironically, even the stablecoin TerraUSD (UST) collapsed, falling far below its $1 peg and stoking market panic.