Macquarie and TradeHero launch “Warrant Hero” with RM100,000 in prize money

Macquarie and TradeHero launch “Warrant Hero” with RM100,000 in prize money    

Kuala Lumpur & Singapore, 3 August, 2015 – Malaysia’s largest Structured Warrants (SW) issuer, Macquarie Capital Securities (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (“Macquarie”), and TradeHero, the world’s leading financial learning and stock market simulation app, have launched Warrant Hero, Malaysia’s first virtual warrant competition, with RM100,000 in prize money to be given away. 

Warrant Hero is a SW simulation contest that allows investors to virtually trade SW using the “TradeHero” app on iOS and Android devices. TradeHero is the world’s leading finance app with more than 4.5 million subscribers, and uses market data which mirrors actual movements on Bursa Malaysia. This gives investors a real-time experience of trading without investing real money, promoting financial education in a risk-free environment.  

Mr Barnaby Matthews, Macquarie’s Head of Derivatives for South East Asia said “The aim of the contest is to improve investors’ understanding and awareness of SW in Malaysia. Macquarie sees education as the key to continued market growth and the Warrant Hero contest is the latest initiative in our drive to develop the market. The more successful investors are at trading SW, the more the market will grow.”   

Since October 2014, the structured warrant market on the Bursa Malaysia has grown from an average daily traded value of around RM5 million to more than RM115 million over the past few weeks, an increase of more than twenty times. Over this period, Macquarie has contributed more than 61% of the daily traded volume on the Malaysian SW market. 

Mr Matthews attributes this growth to several factors, including the improvement in market making services, increased transparency and tools online, and the introduction of foreign index warrants.  

Dinesh Bhatia, CEO and co-founder at TradeHero said, “There is an increasing need to promote financial literacy, particularly among millennials and aspiring investors, and what better way to achieve this than with a gamified, risk free and social environment. By working with financial partners, including Macquarie, we are promoting financial education, building the investors who will drive financial markets of tomorrow.” 

One of the most exciting features of TradeHero is that allows participants to “follow” the top performing traders and see what they are trading in real time. Participants can then use what they learn from these experts and apply it to their own investment portfolio. A series of online video tutorials will also be available via the app, and Macquarie’s warrant website  will allow users to learn-as-they-go. Free seminars will also be held at various locations through the contest period.  

Dato’ Tajuddin Atan, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Berhad said, “Macquarie has stepped up their game in promoting SW in Malaysia. I am glad to see their continued engagement with the marketplace and in rolling out the first SW-focused game locally. The gamification route has proven to be a big crowd puller and is definitely a sure way to engage with our intended audience, which includes our millennials. Engaging them through a channel they are familiar with and through games will allow the capital market to garner more interest and deepen our engagement levels. However, education remains key to any successful foray into trading or investing and I applaud Macquarie for their commitment to educating the public and in promoting interest.” 

“We have had enormous success with our Warrant Hero contest in Singapore and Thailand, attracting more than 15,000 participants this year. With TradeHero’s established Malaysian userbase of 20,000, we expect a large number of engaged participants whom we can educate on SW investments” added Mr Matthews. 

Warrant Hero will run for 12 weeks, starting on 3 August and ending on 23 October 2015. Participants will be given RM100,000 in TradeHero dollars and can buy and sell SW in a simulated environment. The top performing traders each fortnight will receive cash prizes and grand prizes for the winners at conclusion of the contest. The contest is free to join, and participants can download the app by visiting http://en.tradehero.mobi/warrantheromy.