Simulation allows investors to learn about ETF investing and win cash prizes
TORONTO, May 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. ("Horizons ETFs") and National Bank Direct Brokerage ("NBDB") are pleased to announce the launch of the 4th edition of the Biggest Winner Trading Competition, a simulated investment contest that provides Canadian investors with the opportunity to learn about exchange traded funds (ETFs) in a risk-free environment and to compete for cash prizes.
Eligible registrants may open a fantasy brokerage account, which begins with a balance of $100,000 in notional Canadian dollars (no actual money will be traded). Registrants can then use these fantasy funds to make simulated purchases and sales, of the 70 ETFs offered in Canada by Horizons ETFs and its affiliates, at any time, throughout the regular trading day.
Starting at 9:30 a.m. EST on May 20, 2014, the Biggest Winner Trading Competition will run for six weeks until 4:00 p.m. EST on June 27, 2014. There will be a grand prize of $7,500 for the competitor with the highest six-week cumulative return. The runner-up will be awarded $2,500; in addition, six weekly prizes of $500 will be awarded to each of the best single week returns.
"The goal of this competition is education, and there is no better tool for teaching investors how ETFs work then by letting them buy and sell ETFs in a real-time simulated brokerage account," said Howard Atkinson, President of Horizons ETFs. "With about 65 per cent of the contestants in Biggest Winner 3 having never traded ETFs before, it's clear our simulated low-cost and risk-free competition is reaching the broader investing public and advancing their understanding of ETFs."
Nearly 4,000 Canadians participated in the previous three Biggest Winner Trading Competitions. NBDB will once again be the exclusive sponsor of this year's competition.
"We are pleased to watch this competition expand its reach in investor education year-over-year," stated Nancy Paquet, NBDB President. "If you want to be even more prepared, NBDB offers seminars and webinars on different types of investments, including ETFs."
Horizons ETFs offers a broad family of 70 ETFs that provide exposure to a range of asset classes and markets, including the largest suite of leveraged, inverse and actively managed ETFs in Canada.
These ETFs include investment tools with solutions for a variety of market conditions and investment objectives. There are plain-vanilla index ETFs offering exposure to broad markets or specific industry sectors. For tactical traders, there are leveraged, inverse and volatility ETFs.
For investors seeking to potentially improve risk-adjusted returns, there are actively managed ETFs, sub-advised by some of Canada's leading portfolio managers, including asset classes such as fixed income, dividend and alternative investments.
"We're passionate about helping investors achieve their investment goals in a low-cost and diversified manner," said Mr. Atkinson. "Depending on the investor's risk appetite and objectives, and his or her desire for an active or passive strategy, Horizons ETFs strives to offer portfolio (or investment) solutions for every investor."
To register for The Biggest Winner Trading Competition, or to read the full contest rules and details, as well as ETF educational materials, please visit The Biggest Winner website at http://thebiggestwinner.stocktrak.com/home.aspx.
About National Bank Direct Brokerage
National Bank Direct Brokerage is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada. National Bank Direct Brokerage offers no advice and makes no investment recommendations. The client alone is responsible for the financial consequences of his or her investment decisions. National Bank Direct Brokerage is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
About National Bank of Canada
With $195 billion in assets as at January 31, 2014, National Bank of Canada (www.nbc.ca), together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups, and has been named among the 20 strongest banks in the world by Bloomberg Markets magazine. The Bank has close to 20,000 employees and is widely recognized as a top employer. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities via social media and learn more about its extensive community involvement at clearfacts.ca and commitment.nationalbank.ca.
About Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (www.HorizonsETFs.com)
Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. and its affiliate AlphaPro Management Inc. are innovative financial services companies offering the Horizons ETFs family of exchange-traded funds. The Horizons ETFs family includes a broadly diversified range of investment tools with solutions for investors of all experience levels to meet their investment objectives in a variety of market conditions. With approximately $4.1 billion in assets under management and 70 ETFs listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (as at April 30, 2014), the Horizons ETFs family makes up one of the largest families of ETFs in Canada. Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. and AlphaPro Management Inc. are members of the Mirae Asset Financial Group.
About Mirae Asset Global Investments (www.miraeasset.com)
Mirae Asset Global Investments is one of the world's largest investment managers in emerging market equities (Investments & Pensions Europe, January 2014). With approximately 570 employees, including 124 dedicated investment professionals, Mirae Asset offers a breadth of emerging markets expertise. Mirae Asset's offices are located in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Taiwan, the U.K., the United States and Vietnam. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, the firm manages $58.7 billion in assets globally (as at December 31, 2013) through a diversified platform to offer market-leading franchises in traditional equity and fixed income products, ETFs and alternative strategies, such as real estate, private equity and hedge funds.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in exchange traded products managed by AlphaPro Management Inc. and Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc. (the "Horizons Exchanged Traded Products"). The Horizons Exchange Traded Products are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Certain Horizons Exchange Traded Products may have exposure to leveraged investment techniques that can magnify gains and losses and which may result in greater volatility of returns and could be subject to aggressive investment risk and price volatility risk. The prospectus contains important detailed information about each Horizons Exchange Traded Product. Please read the applicable prospectus before investing.
SOURCE Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.
Howard Atkinson, President, Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc., (416) 777-5167, hatkinson@horizonsetfs.comCopyright CNW Group 2014