Filipinos are increasingly beginning to invest in the stock market. There are several ways to tap the local stock market. You can open your own brokerage account and start investing, or you can purchase a mutual fund that invests in local stocks or UITFs [1] from banks. These options are easy to access, especially when it comes to opening your own brokerage account; all you need is a valid ID and you can invest as little as Php1,000.
If you are investing in the local market, which is a good place to start, you can take it to the next level by investing in global markets. Stocks listed in the United States, such as those on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) [2] and NASDAQ [3], are becoming increasingly popular among Filipino investors. Apart from this, you can also invest in stocks listed in other countries. Here are the advantages of investing in the global market:
1. A significantly wider range of investment options
Global investing allows you to access investment opportunities that are not available in your home country. Some of the world's most profitable tech companies are based in developed markets such as the United States.
You can also select a theme or a combination of investments in various sectors. For example, you could invest in the technology sector, commodity sector, healthcare sector, green energy sector, and many more in one portfolio.
2. Diversification
You can easily diversify your portfolio because you have a wide range of investment options available to you. By investing in global markets, you will be able to spread your exposure across many economies, reducing the risks and volatility associated with a single country. Spreading your eggs in different baskets will help you in distributing your investments across different countries, markets, and industries, which may provide more stable returns.
3. Currency Diversification
This is a two-edged sword because global investing exposes you to currency appreciation or depreciation. Generally, exposure to a diversified currency portfolio typically entails less exchange rate risk than if all the portfolio exposure were in a single foreign currency.
4. Faster Growth
When you invest globally, you will have the opportunity to profit from the economic growth of the markets in which you invest. Even if our local stock market is down, you can still benefit from higher returns from global investments. The chart below shows that over a 5-year period, the S&P 500 (SPX) consistently outperformed the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) by a greater margin. Consider this: if you invested PhP1,000,000 five years ago in a local blue chip or local mutual fund that invests in the local market, it would now be valued at PhP795,800. Compared that to PhP1,414,200 if you invest in funds that are benchmarked into S&P500.
1 Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITFs) are ready-made investments that allow the pooling of funds from different investors with similar investment objectives mostly offered by banks (BDO Unibank). In the Philippines, UITFs are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The main difference between UITFs and Mutual Funds are their regulatory bodies and who offers them.
2 NYSE is a stock exchange located in New York City that is the largest equities-based exchange in the world, based on the total market capitalization of its listed securities (Investopedia).
3 NASDAQ is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities. It operates 29 markets, one clearinghouse, and five central securities depositories in the United States and Europe. Most of the world's technology giants are listed on the Nasdaq.
Chart 1.1 NASDAQ (NDQ) vs S&P 500 (SPX) vs Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) Jan. 2018 – Jan. 2023
While investing globally provides these advantages, many people are still hesitant to do so due to the scarcity of international stock brokerages that accept non-US customers and the complexity of opening an account.
AAPOC is a new breed of company built to offer our Filipino customers a simple and affordable platform to enable clients to access international markets. Customers of AAPOC have the opportunity to significantly enhance their returns and reduce risk by exposing themselves to thriving International markets. We offer a wide range of products that are tailored to our clients' specific needs. You can even begin investing on a regular basis for as little as $100 per month, which includes investments with global exposure across multiple markets and sectors.
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to level up your portfolio and start the year right by investing in global markets now with AAPOC. Currently global markets are also looking attractive for the long term investor due to the recent falls due to rising interest rates. AAPOC are making access to International mutual funds simple and affordable.
If you are looking to secure the financial future for you and your family by diversifying your investments, AAPOC offers you that option. For many of you this is a big step so AAPOC offer you a free 15 minute review to help you understand the process and the ongoing service we provide you as our client during your investment journey.
Act now to create the financial future you deserve please contact us on +639272247288 or click on the button below.
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