KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Walt Disney has been popular among Malaysian retail investors buying into stocks they feel will weather the storm or even benefit from the coronavirus crisis, according to investment platform eToro.
In a statement today, eToro said Walt Disney was the most popular stock on the eToro platform in March with a 196% increase in Malaysian investor buys compared with February.
New York Stock Exchange-listed Walt Disney gained 45 cents to close at US$100.99 yesterday.
“While Walt Disney stock fell by 18% in March following a significant sell-off in company shares due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Malaysian investors are taking advantage of this situation by scooping up Disney stock at a discount.
“The same goes with Mastercard’s stock which jumped from 20th to 10th place with a 277% increase in March, fuelled by lower prices,” said eToro.
The trading platform said Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) remained a popular stock in March due to the pandemic’s role in promoting the video game industry, creating a surging market demand for CPU.
As AMD’s CPU tech remains ahead of competitors such as Intel, investors are very optimistic about the company’s future, it said.
eToro head of Southeast Asia Paul Familiaran said it has been a tumultuous month for the global markets, with value being wiped out across thousands of stocks.
“Yet our data paints a picture of investors very much in control of their portfolios, making positive decisions about managing their risks and seeking out longer-term opportunities.
“In fact, they are displaying a sensible and considered approach that seems to be missing from the markets,” he said.
Familiaran said many retail investors are investing in the companies that people are turning to help weather the Covid-19 storm like Alibaba, Amazon and Disney.
“For any investor, it is important to remember to take a long-term view. Yes, it makes sense for investors to review their portfolios, but the most important thing is for investors not to panic.
“We are seeing many eToro customers make adjustments and even some additions to their portfolios, because as the old adage says ‘the best prices come at the worst times’,” he said.
| Most invested stocks by Malaysian clients on the eToro investment platform — March 2020 | |||
| March rank | Stock | Percentage change in trading activity | February rank |
| 1 | Walt Disney | 196% | 8 |
| 2 | 69% | 2 | |
| 3 | Apple | 75% | 4 |
| 4 | Tesla | -46% | 1 |
| 5 | Alibaba | 15% | 5 |
| 6 | Carnival Corp | 267% | 16 |
| 7 | Amazon | 33% | 6 |
| 8 | Microsoft | -11% | 3 |
| 9 | AMD | 41% | 9 |
| 10 | Mastercard | 277% | 20 |
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