Adapt investor mindset Firm to Cebuanos: Invest in stock market

Banking on the growth potential of the Cebuano market, a brokerage firm is primed to beef up its campaign to educate more people here to adapt to an investor mindset.

Michelle Ungco, assistant vice president of UTrade by Unicapital Securities, Inc. (USI), said that while they are engaging more people in Manila at present, the clamor of Cebuanos to learn about investing in the stock market has been growing over the years.

“We have regular monthly events in Manila and it is very difficult to get people to attend. Here, it is easier, considering we are doing our digital marketing from Manila. When we post on social media, Cebuanos are quick to react and comment. Already there is so much interest right away,” she said during a media roundtable in Cebu City last Friday.

More than 100 people, a mix of students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs, attended a Stock Market 101 workshop held at the Bayfront Hotel in Cebu City on Saturday with UTrade consultant Carlos Felipe.

Ungco said this is already enough evidence that there is growing interest among Cebuanos to invest.

UTrade, which has operations in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) satellite office at the Cebu Business Park, also offers basic workshops on investing in the stock market every Tuesday.

Recognizing that the Cebu market still has a lot of room to grow, Ungco said they will bring even more events and activities being done in Manila here.

Ungco said that the online brokerage firm was officially launched in Cebu in 2014 and not in Manila because management felt that there was so much potential here.

The firm currently serves around 5,000 clients, with those in Cebu outnumbered by those in Manila. However, Ungco said they see this gap narrowing in the next three years with the Cebuano market growing even faster than that in the capital.