It is time for the annual trading competition ”Investor-SM/NM/DM/Sijoittajamestari” and we managed to get a quick chat with one of our sponsors and ETP providers, Société Générale.
- What are your thoughts about the trading competition?
We believe that the trading competition is a great way for both new investors as well as experienced investors to try out Exchange Traded Products. Since the competition is mirroring real products and real prices, the participants can obtain valuable insights in how different products behave in real market situations. It is a great tool to expand one’s knowledge of ETPs.
- How would you describe the different products you offer?
Société Générale offers more than 22 000 Exchange Traded Products across the Nordics. We offer a very expansive range of instruments for the self-directed trader but also solutions for investors with a longer investment horizon. Everything from Tracker Certificates on thematic strategies to Bull & Bear Certificates, Mini Futures, Turbo Warrants and Plain Warrants are to be found in our product range. The large product offering gives investors a variety of different investment opportunities during different market conditions. Investors can get exposure to the development in almost anything – from commodities, precious metals, currencies, interest rates and indices to many national and international stocks.
- What would be the main reasons to choose ETP products instead of investing in plain equities or mutual funds?
There are probably as many reasons as there are different investor types to choose ETPs over plain stocks or mutual funds. One obvious reason is that you can get greater exposure to an underlying for a relatively small initial investment. This is due to the build-in leverage effect that most of the ETPs have and may help to extract tied-up capital. Another reason is the flexibility to get exposure in rising markets (using “Bull”, “Long” or “Call” products) as well as falling markets (using “Bear”, “Short” or “Put” products). There are even solutions to generate positive returns during flat markets. All this combined with a liquid market and uncomplicated access allows any investor to add very specific investment strategies into their portfolios and adjust its risk and reward exposure individually.
- How would you describe the Nordic market compared to the rest of Europe?
The Nordic ETP market has experienced a strong growth during the past years and has been gaining visibility in other European markets. It is still not yet as developed as other European markets like Germany or France, particularly when it comes to the diversity of brokers specializing in ETPs. However, a development in that area would certainly further support the growth of the Nordic ETP market and positively impact the experience for the investors.
- What would you like to highlight in your bank’s product offering?
The broad spectrum of our product offering makes sure that we always have products that fit any investor’s outlook during almost any market scenario. We are constantly monitoring our products on the market in order to have an up-to-date product line, and we also welcome suggestions from any investors for new products.
- Do you have any advices for the traders in the competition?
Use the trading competition to get some valuable experience with investing in ETPs, and also to get to know the products that you are trading. On both Société Générale’s website and the NGM website you can find educational material that describes, in an easy language, how the different product types work, and how you can take advantage of different market scenarios.
