Blogging becoming mainstream part of research BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a July survey of3,000 U.S. equity and options traders conducted by online broker dealerTradeKing, active traders are increasingly adopting "Web 2.0" socialnetworking tools such as blogs and podcasts to gather and shareinformation(1). Over one-third (36 percent) of options traders and one-quarter (24 percent) of equity traders report reading blogs either daily orweekly, and blog authorship, while still modest overall, is climbing. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070807/NETU062LOGO ) The in-house survey was conducted July 17-20, 2007, via email to 3,000TradeKing clients, with an estimated 95% confidence level. The surveyresults have been segmented into two distinct client groups: "options only"traders and "equities only" traders. Podcasts have also emerged as a popular educational tool amongrespondents, with 25 percent of options traders and 17 percent of equitytraders reporting that they listen to podcasts daily or weekly.Interestingly, while more traditional forms of online community, such asmessage boards, remain popular, with about one-quarter of options andequity traders reading them daily or weekly, the number of participants inuser groups appears to be dropping. "Our online community has grown significantly since we pioneered it ayear ago," said Donato A. Montanaro, Jr., TradeKing's co-founder and CEO."Nearly 10 percent of TradeKing's client base is interacting with oneanother online. Some have created profiles and are connecting with othermembers who have similar financial interests, others are blogging abouttheir strategies and trades, and some are actually publishing their tradesusing our Certified Trades section. Interestingly, as the market hasexperienced increased volatility in recent days, our TradeKing Communityhas demonstrated an even higher level of activity, indicating perhaps anadded comfort-factor social networking provides during times offluctuation." One year ago, TradeKing introduced the ability for customers to opt toshow their trades, which are verified on the Certified Trades section ofTradeKing's website. "By showing actual trades that have occurred, the siteprovides a level of transparency that can be lacking in many onlineinteractions," says Montanaro. "If a member blogs about a certaininvestment or strategy and opts to publish their trades, others can seethat they have taken action, and are not simply posting whollyunsubstantiated ideas." Oil and Alternative Energy Continue as Top Potential Trade Triggers Other findings in TradeKing's survey show that respondents continue toview oil prices and alternative energy as top market triggers. More than 90percent of options traders and 80 percent of equity traders considered thistopic a "potential trade trigger" or a trend worth "monitoring actively,"up slightly from TradeKing's April 2007 survey. "Interest rate changes"edged out "evidence of inflation" as the number two and three investorconcerns among respondents, in line with April data. For more information on TradeKing's July 2007 client survey, pleaseemail service@tradeking.com to obtain an executive summary. To join TradeKing's financial social networking community click thefollowing link:http://www.tradeking.com/AdTrack/PR-SOCIAL-NETWORKING-OPTIONS-BROKER-ONLINE/HOME About TradeKing TradeKing, at http://www.tradeking.com/, is a nationally licensedonline broker dealer offering simple, low flat fees ($4.95 per trade plus$.65 per option contract. Please seehttps://www.tradeking.com/PrivateView/services/Services/commissions.tmplfor more details on trade commissions for low priced stock, bonds, mutualfunds and other securities.), with no hidden fees or account minimums. TheTradeKing Web- based platform features powerful online equity, options andfixed-income trading tools including real-time portfolio information,advanced order entry, customized charting and alerts, free research andintegrated news, stock, option and mutual fund screeners, volatilitycharts, a pricing probability calculator, enhanced option chains andinteractive educational information. TradeKing also features innovative community networking capabilities tohelp connect like-minded traders for enhanced strategy development andinformation sharing. TradeKing provides self-directed investors withdiscount brokerage services, and does not make recommendations or offerinvestment advice. Online trading system response and access times may varydue to market conditions, system performance, and other factors. Non-U.S.residents may be subject to country-specific restrictions. Options involverisk and are not suitable for all investors. Please read Characteristicsand Risks of Standardized Options available athttp://content.tradeking.com/wiki/display/tkservice/Characteristics+and+Risks. Member FINRA/SIPC. (1) The content of this press release is provided for educational and informational purposes only, does not constitute a recommendation to enter in any of the securities transactions or to engage in any of the investment strategies presented herein, and does not represent the opinions of TradeKing or its employees. TradeKing provides self-directed investors with discount brokerage services, and does not make recommendations or offer investment advice. The investor alone is responsible for evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of TradeKing's systems, services or products. All investments involve risk, losses may exceed the principal invested, and the past performance of a security, industry, sector, market, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns.
