Firm pushes online trading without brokers

WITH technology making e-commerce more popular, Vicsal Corp.’s capital market investment arm, AB Capital Securities, Inc., is introducing their online platform to grow its retail market segment base.

They saw the potential of on line retail being more convenient for people to start trading with only an investment of P10,000, said Bert Santos, president of AB Capital Securities, Inc. during last Friday’s forum at Marco Polo Plaza,

“AB Capital online trading allows one to start investing in the stock market without going through a broker,” said Eric Wee, AB Capital Securities, Inc. compliance officer.

Santos and Wee said they believe the introduction of its online service could grow the number of stock market investors, specifically the younger generation who are exposed to the online world and are doing much of their transactions online already.

Santos said they plan to tap the young professional segment (from 19 to 29 years old), who still didn’t have investments in the stock market but could easily be persuaded if the process would be more convenient for them.

Santos said that with Vicsal Corp. acquiring AB Capital Securities, Inc., the firm is optimistic about marketing its services in Cebu, which is the home base of Vicsal Corp. owned by the Gaisanos.

“In Cebu, we have two offices to cater to our customers – one in Plaridel Street, and one at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) office at the Insular Building in Cebu Business Park. These offices will provide support for our target market here in Cebu,” said Santos.

Wee said the stock market brokerage growth trend was going towards online platforms with brokers having limited capacity to entertain all investors.

“Of the 500,000 investors in the stock market, about 50,000 do transaction online. The potential for growth in this segment is really huge. That is why we are very lucky to be among the few brokers with online capability and we plan to maximize that,” said Wee.

Out of 133 broker companies in the Philippines, AB Capital Securities, Inc. is only one of 10 with online platforms.

Wee also noted the favorable response from investors with the Philippine Stock market consistently registering a positive performance.

“The number of investors playing in the stock market in the Philippines grew by 32 percent and PSE has yet to achieve its targeted level of getting six million Filipinos earning above P30,000 every month to start investing. We will be at par with this target,” said Wee.

There are 505,000 investors in the stock market today and about 95 percent of them Filipinos and the rest are foreign investors.

The Philippine stock market is regarded as number three in the world, and the top performer in Asia because of its healthy growth rate over the years even during the global economic global turmoil.