Spotting alternative investing trends

A roundtable this week will offer much-needed information on a variety of investment channels in Vietnam

Every investor knows the classic stock market wisdom “the trend is your friend,” meaning that an existing trend is likely to continue and be worthy of one’s attention. However, to identify ongoing trends one must not only be versed in fundamental and technical analyses but also stay ahead in the multitude of available investment channels.

Besides traditional channels such as depository savings, real estate, insurance, stocks, and corporate bonds, newer ways of growing one’s savings include forex, digital currencies, and derivatives – each of these with its own advantages, risks, and limitations.

Especially amid the unpredictable pandemic, which has created an unorthodox financial crisis, global markets are near-impossible to predict. While some industries have clearly been hit the hardest, such as entertainment and tourism, others might take off faster again as soon as social distancing measures slowly ease around the world.

However, it remains premature “to bet on a recovery before we understand the nature of the crash,” according to Reuters’ Asia Economics editor Pete Sweeney, who was discussing the impact of the pandemic as well as news and data in a fast-paced market at a webinar from financial analytics provider Refinitiv this summer.

Although some economies like that of Vietnam are slowly stabilising again, other markets are having to contend with renewed outbreaks of the pandemic, which ensures that much of the true economic impacts have not largely been felt yet.

Moreover, to navigate the sheer amount of available data, experts are now advising to look for alternative data, including indicators like credit card usage, e-commerce figures, and consumer habits on sports and gaming platforms which could be used to identify shifts in consumer trends and could be extrapolated to spot new investment trends.

Aiming to provide readers and investors the latest useful information on investment channels and ways to spot these ongoing trends, Vietnam Investment Review is hosting a special roundtable titled “Calling the Right Shots in the New Normal” on Thursday, November 12 from 9am at VIR headquarters, 47 Quan Thanh street in Ba Dinh district in Hanoi.