Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Every investor goes through this at least once. You spend weeks watching a stock, finally pull the trigger, and the very next day it drops 10%. You panic, sell, and then watch it rocket past your original entry price like it was waiting for you to leave. It almost feels personal.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: someone really is shaping the price you see on your screen. Not targeting you specifically, but moving the market in ways most retail investors never account for. These are the big institutions, hedge funds, fund managers, pension funds, they are collectively moving trillions of dollars across global markets every single day. The financial world calls them smart money.

And here’s the interesting part: by law, most of these institutions are required to publicly disclose what they are buying and selling. Which means anyone with a phone can technically see exactly what the world’s biggest investors are doing. For free.

So why are retail investors still losing?

Why Retail Investors Actually Lose

It’s rarely about picking a “bad” stock. The more common culprit is when and why people buy and sell.

The pattern tends to look like this:

1. Buying after the hype has already peaked.

Take Malaysian glove stocks in 2020. By the time most retail investors were buying Top Glove or Hartalega, after it was all over WhatsApp groups and family chats, smart money had already been holding for months. Retail investors weren’t early. They were the exit liquidity.

2. Panic selling on dips. 

The stock drops, anxiety sets in, and shares get sold. Then it recovers without you.

3. Confusing rising prices with a good business. 

Glove stocks climbed for months while the underlying business was quietly becoming a worse long-term bet, as global demand was tied to a pandemic that was eventually going to end.

The real gap isn’t intelligence or luck. It’s information and timing. Institutions plan their moves months in advance, backed by dedicated research teams. Retail investors react in real time, emotionally, and usually too late.

The goal, then, is to stop reacting blindly and start reading what the planners are actually doing.

What Is “Smart Money”?

The term gets thrown around loosely, so it helps to be specific. Smart money generally refers to three groups:

• Institutional investors – pension funds like EPF or KWAP locally, or Berkshire Hathaway in the US
• Hedge funds – professionally managed pools of capital with aggressive return targets
• Company insiders – the CEOs, CFOs, and directors who run the business day to day

These groups have more resources, information, and patience than the average retail investor. But, and this matters, having an edge doesn’t mean they’re always right. Blindly copying their moves, without understanding the reasoning behind them, is one of the fastest ways to lose money.

EPF, KWAP, and major foreign funds were all holding Malaysian glove stocks near the peak. The Serba Dinamik governance scandal caught institutional holders completely off guard. Smart money got it wrong, and so did everyone who simply copied them without doing their own thinking.

So smart money signals are a starting point, not a conclusion. The question is how to use them properly.

A Four-Step Investigation Framework

The right way to think about smart money is as one input in a structured process, not a shortcut that replaces research. Here’s the four-question framework used before committing to any position:

1. Is the smart money actually serious about this stock?
2. Do professional analysts still believe in it?
3. Are the company’s own insiders backing it?
4. Does the actual business hold up?

Every question has to pass before moving to the next. If a stock fails even one, walk away. This walkthrough uses Alphabet (Google’s parent company) as the example, using Moomoo‘s built-in tools , which handle most of the data gathering automatically.

Step 1: Is Smart Money Actually Serious?

When a big fund holds a stock, the first question isn’t what they hold, it’s how much they care about that position.

A RM10 million position means nothing to a fund managing RM50 billion. Copying a stock that represents 0.02% of their portfolio means copying a decision they barely considered. What matters is conviction, a position large enough that it actually moves the needle for them, and ideally, one they’re actively adding to rather than quietly trimming.

Moomoo‘s Institution Tracker makes this visible. For any major institution, users can see their full portfolio breakdown: what they bought, what they sold, and what percentage each position represents.

On 15 May 2026, Berkshire Hathaway filed its Q1 2026 13F report, the first under new CEO Greg Abel, after Warren Buffett officially stepped down at the start of 2026. Abel’s first filing was notable. He increased Berkshire’s Alphabet (GOOGL) position by 224%, from roughly 18 million shares to nearly 58 million shares, while fully exiting Amazon, Domino’s, and UnitedHealth.

That is not a casual position adjustment. When a new CEO’s very first major filing triples down on a single name, it reflects high conviction from the most watched institutional portfolio in the world.

Alphabet passes Step 1.

Here’s how you can explore the Institutional Tracker yourself on Moomoo app: 

A practical tip: Moomoo‘s Institution Tracker also covers local institutions like EPF and KWAP on Bursa, not just US funds. The “Follow” feature sends a notification the moment a new disclosure is filed, so instead of reading about it days or weeks later in the news, the update arrives the same day.

For tracking faster-moving players like politically connected portfolios or prominent individual investors, the Insight Page covers names that don’t show up in regular 13F filings.

Step 2: Do Professional Analysts Still Believe in It?

Here’s the problem with Step 1: that 13F filing reflects what the fund held at the end of the previous quarter. By the time it’s visible, the data can be up to 45 days old. Smart money may have bought Alphabet months ago at a much lower price. The real question is whether it still makes sense at today’s price, or whether the opportunity has already passed.

That’s what analyst ratings are designed to answer.

Major investment banks like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan globally; CIMB Research, Maybank IB, and MIDF locally, publish research reports with target prices and Buy / Hold / Sell ratings. The challenge is that for any single stock, 20 different analysts might give 20 different opinions, with wildly different target prices.

Moomoo solves this by assigning each analyst their own Star Rating based on actual historical track record: how often their calls were right, how accurate their price targets were, and how the recommended stocks actually performed afterward. A Buy rating from a 5-star analyst carries meaningfully more weight than the same rating from a 1-star one.

Step to Use Moomoo’s Rating Changes: 

Moomoo also includes Morningstar ratings at no extra cost, one of the most respected independent research houses in the world, whose reports normally require a paid subscription.

Running Step 2 on Alphabet: if multiple high-rated analysts still carry upside targets above today’s price, the conclusion is that professional opinion hasn’t soured since the institutional buying happened. The conviction is current, not just historical.

Alphabet passes Step 2.

Step 3: Are the Company’s Own Insiders Backing It?

No one knows more about where a company is actually headed than the people running it. When a CEO, CFO, or director uses their personal money to buy shares in their own company, it’s one of the most honest signals available in public markets. Nobody voluntarily puts money into a sinking ship.

In Malaysia, directors and substantial shareholders are required to declare any share purchases or sales within three days. In the US, these are filed as Form 4 with the SEC. The information is public, but it’s buried across hundreds of company filings, and most retail investors never look at it.

Moomoo‘s Insider Activity section consolidates all of this into a simple dashboard: the number of insiders buying versus selling, and the total dollar amounts involved.

Step to Use Moomoo’s Insider Activity: 

For the Alphabet, the picture isn’t a clean green light. As at 20 May 2026, over the past year, insiders were net sellers, roughly USD 590 million more in sales than purchases, with 148 sellers versus 117 buyers.

The instinct might be to treat this as a red flag. But insider selling requires more careful interpretation than insider buying.

When an executive buys shares with personal money, there’s essentially one reason: they believe the price is going up. Buying is a strong, unambiguous signal. Selling, on the other hand, has dozens of mundane explanations, such as funding a home purchase, estate planning, diversifying personal wealth, or simply managing the fact that most senior executives are paid heavily in company equity and periodically need to convert some of it to cash.

The signal to watch for isn’t any selling, it’s heavy, one-sided selling. Ten sellers and zero buyers. A mass exodus of insiders heading for the exits simultaneously. That’s the pattern that should stop an investigation cold.

That’s not what the Alphabet shows. The activity is split, not a stampede. For a company of this scale, with thousands of employees holding share-based compensation, that ratio is fairly normal.

Alphabet passes Step 3, but with a note. Not a clean green light; more of a “proceed, but stay alert.” That’s how many real investigations end on this question. The signals don’t always line up perfectly. The job is to weigh them accurately, not wait for a scenario where everything is flawless.

Step 4: Does the Actual Business Hold Up?

This is where most investors get into trouble. Three positive signals come in, and they buy, without ever asking whether the underlying company actually makes money.

A stock is not a story or a sentiment score. It is a piece of ownership in a real business, and sooner or later, the numbers are what determine the outcome.

This final step is a fundamental health check, and it only requires five questions:

• Is revenue growing?
• Are profit margins stable, or being squeezed?
• Is debt manageable?
• Does the company pay a consistent dividend, and is it sustainable?
• Is the valuation (PE ratio) reasonable compared to peers, or is the current price mostly hype?

Step to Use Moomoo’s Company Financials:

Running this on Alphabet in Q1 2026:

Profitability is exceptional. Gross margin has climbed steadily, reaching around 60%. Net margin hit nearly 38%, meaning for every USD 100 in revenue, approximately USD 38 is pure profit. Most businesses spend careers chasing margins like that.

The balance sheet is solid. A current ratio of 1.92 and quick ratio of 1.71 both sit comfortably above 1.0, meaning the company has more than enough liquid assets to cover its short-term obligations without stress.

Debt is increasing, and worth watching. Long-term debt moved from roughly 7% in 2024 to around 14% in 2025. In absolute terms, this remains low for a company of Alphabet’s scale, likely driven by AI infrastructure and data centre investment. It is not a red flag today, but the direction of travel is something to note and monitor. Ignoring small cracks because the broader story is appealing is how investors get surprised.

Dividends are minimal. The yield is just 0.23%, and the company pays out only around 8% of profits. Alphabet is not an income stock. But for a growth company that reinvests the vast majority of its earnings back into the business, this is entirely appropriate, the investment case is capital appreciation, not dividend income.

Valuation is not cheap. The PE ratio sits around 30, which is above the industry average. This means buyers today are paying a premium for future earnings. The business quality justifies a premium, but it is worth acknowledging that the current price does not represent a bargain.

Alphabet passes Step 4, with eyes open. The business is growing, highly profitable, and financially sound. But it is priced as a quality company, not an overlooked one, and debt is quietly trending upward.

The Full Picture 

Four questions. Four passes, each with appropriate caveats.

Smart money serious: pass. Analysts are still convinced at today’s price: pass. Insiders mixed, but no sign of mass exits: pass, with a note. Business fundamentally strong: pass, with eyes open.

What’s worth noticing is that none of those four steps required predicting the future. No crystal ball, no insider information, no speculation about macro trends. Just a disciplined process of reading what is already publicly available, and asking the right questions in the right order.

This is how to stop being other people’s exit liquidity, not by finding a hot tip, but by doing the work that most people skip.

Final Thought

Even after completing all four steps on a stock that passes cleanly, the worst mistake is concentrating too heavily on a single name. No matter how strong the signals look, position sizing and diversification matter. Even the world’s most famous investor spreads across dozens of companies.

Investing is also a long-term game. Short-term prices do whatever they want, often for reasons that have nothing to do with business quality. The investors who consistently come out ahead are rarely the ones who time entries perfectly, they’re the ones who show up consistently, month after month, through both good and bad markets.

Please note that everything covered here is a framework, not a guarantee. It shifts the process from chasing trends to actually understanding what is inside the businesses being considered. And that, over time, is the real edge.

If you want to try all these tools yourself, click here to sign up for a Moomoo account to get extra rewards using my special deposit code “ZIET 11”. They are now giving away US stocks, up to RM1,800 worth of Apple stock plus RM 100 cash for new users. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always conduct your own research and only invest money you can afford to lose.

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The post How to Follow Smart Money Wisely appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Buying your first stock can feel scary.

You open the app or trading platform, see so many buttons, stock prices moving up and down, words like “limit order”, “bid”, “ask”, “settlement”, “time-in-force”… and suddenly it feels like you need a finance degree just to buy one share.

But don’t worry, once you break it down, buying a stock is actually quite straightforward.

You just need to understand what you are buying, how much you are buying, what price you are paying, and when the trade is completed.

So in this article, let’s go through the basics step by step.

How to Allocate Your First RM10,000

One common mistake beginners make is treating investing as an all or nothing decision. They either invest everything immediately or avoid investing entirely. A more balanced approach is to split your money based on different objectives.

For example, if you have RM10,000, your RM2,000 can act as a liquidity layer that remains accessible when needed. The remaining RM8,000 can be invested with a longer time horizon, allowing it to benefit from market growth and compounding over time.

This simple structure provides both flexibility and growth potential.

New User Sign Up Rewards.

If you haven’t signed up yet, Moomoo does offer attractive sign-up rewards for new users.

Based on the current campaign details provided, new users may receive free Apple shares with deposits starting from RM3,000, and total rewards can go up to RM1,800.

And if you’re planning to check it out, you can use my special deposit code: ‘ZIET11’. This may unlock extra rewards when you deposit, depending on the ongoing campaign.

Using Cash Plus for Your Cash Management Layer

Before investing, it is important to talk about cash. If you have RM10,000, you probably should not throw everything into the US stocks or MY stocks immediately. You still need some money that is flexible and easy to access.

A simple starting point is to keep around 20% of your RM10,000 as a cash management layer. That means about RM2,000 can be kept in a place where it is still accessible, but has the potential to earn better returns than a normal savings account.

This is where MMFs can be useful.

A money market fund (MMF) is a lower-risk place to park extra cash. It usually invests in short-term and relatively stable financial products such as treasury bills, short-term government bonds, certificates of deposit, and commercial papers.

In simple words, it is not meant to make you rich quickly. It is mainly used for cash management.

For example, you may use it for:

• Emergency cash
• Short-term savings
• Money waiting to be invested
• Cash that you want to keep flexible

Many normal savings accounts offer very low interest. Fixed deposits may offer better rates, but they usually require you to lock in your money for a period of time. MMFs are different because they usually allow you to earn returns while still keeping your money relatively flexible.

On Moomoo, this feature is available through Cash Plus. Inside Cash Plus, users can explore different fund options, including MYR funds, USD funds, and Shariah-compliant funds. Their Cash Plus offers around 3.5% per year, with boosted rates of up to 6% for new users depending on promotion.

However, it is important to understand that MMFs are not risk-free. So before putting your money into any fund, always read the fund details and understand what you are investing in.

Another thing beginners should note is the yield shown on the app.

Sometimes, you may see a seven-day yield. This number only reflects what the fund earned over the past seven days. It does not mean you are guaranteed to earn the same return forever.

So instead of only chasing the highest number, look at the fund’s longer-term performance, risk level, and whether it matches your needs.

For your first RM10,000, the goal of this RM2,000 cash layer is simple: keep some money flexible while still giving it a chance to earn something.

And for investors seeking Shariah-compliant options, Cash Plus also provides access to funds such as the Maybank Retail Money Market-I Fund and Eastspring Investments Islamic Income Fund.

Investing in ETFs for Long-Term Growth

Once you have your cash layer, the remaining RM8,000 can be used for long-term growth. For beginners, one of the easiest ways to start is through ETFs.

Instead of depending on one company, you spread your money across many companies. Some may do badly, some may do well, but overall, you are investing in the group. That is why ETFs can be beginner-friendly. They reduce the pressure of having to pick the perfect stock.

For example, if you buy an ETF, you are getting exposure to a lot of large companies in the US market. You are not betting everything on one company alone.

Let’s say when you buy S&P 500 like SPY or VOO, you are basically buying a small slice of 500 of the largest listed companies in the US.

So instead of choosing between Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, Meta or Google one by one, the ETF gives you exposure to many of them in one basket.

This matters because individual stocks can be much more volatile. But of course, they are not risk-free. If the whole market falls, they can fall too. But they help reduce the risk of choosing the wrong individual company.

Today, there are many types of ETFs. Some track broad markets like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq. Some focus on gold, bonds, dividends, technology, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, or other regions.

On Moomoo, beginners can search for ETFs directly and compare the details. There is also an ETF screener that allows users to filter based on market, sector, dividends, and other criteria.

This is helpful because many beginners do not know where to start. Instead of randomly searching online, you can use the screener to narrow down your options first.

Another misconception is that investing requires a large amount of money.

Thanks to fractional investing, you can start investing in many US-listed ETFs with as little as USD5. This lowers the barrier to entry significantly and allows beginners to start building exposure even with a modest budget.

Moomoo AI can also help simplify the research process by summarising market updates and providing quick insights into different ETFs. While these tools can be useful starting points, your investment decisions should always be based on your own financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Building a DCA Strategy with Regular Savings Plan (RSP)

Investing your first RM10,000 is a great start, but long-term wealth is rarely built from a single investment decision. The next step is developing a habit of investing consistently.

This is where Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) comes in. DCA simply means investing a fixed amount of money regularly over time. For example, instead of trying to invest a large amount at the perfect time, you invest RM200, or any amount you are comfortable with every month. When prices are high, your money buys fewer units. When prices are lower, your money buys more units. Over time, this helps smooth out your average buying price.

However, the challenge is that consistency is often easier said than done. When markets fall, many people become hesitant and delay investing while waiting for the “right” moment. Unfortunately, that moment rarely feels obvious in real time.

To help solve this problem, Moomoo offers a Regular Savings Plan (RSP), which automates your DCA strategy. You simply choose what you want to invest in and set a schedule whether you want to invest daily, weekly, or monthly. And the minimum investment can be as low as USD5, making it accessible even for beginners.

If you’re unsure how much to invest or how frequently to invest, Moomoo‘s RSP Calculator can help. It allows you to visualise different investing scenarios before committing real money, making it easier to build a plan that fits your budget and goals.

Beyond convenience, the biggest benefit of DCA is psychological. It removes much of the pressure associated with market timing and helps investors stay disciplined regardless of market conditions.

Markets can be emotional. During periods of volatility, even experienced investors can feel uncertain. By automating your investments through an RSP, you create a system that continues working even when emotions tell you to do otherwise.

For many people, this is one of the most effective ways to build long-term investing discipline.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Starting your investment journey is exciting, but it’s equally important to avoid some of the mistakes that often derail new investors.

1. Panic Selling During Market Declines

Every investor will eventually experience market volatility. When prices fall, it’s natural to feel uncomfortable. However, selling purely because the market is dropping can turn temporary losses into permanent ones.

Before you invest in anything, take the time to understand why you’re buying it, how long you plan to hold it, and what role it plays in your overall portfolio. When you have a clear reason for investing, it becomes much easier to stay calm during periods of market volatility.

2. Ignoring Fees and Costs

Fees may seem insignificant at first, but they can have a meaningful impact on long-term returns.

Before you invest, make sure you understand the costs involved, including fund expense ratios, trading commissions, platform fees, and currency conversion charges. While each fee may appear insignificant on its own, they can add up over the years and reduce the overall growth of your portfolio.

3. Making Emotional Investment Decisions

It’s easy to feel tempted when everyone online is talking about a particular stock. It’s equally easy to panic when markets turn negative and prices start falling. Unfortunately, making decisions based on hype, fear, or FOMO rarely leads to good long-term outcomes.

Instead, focus on building a process that helps you stay disciplined. This is one reason why strategies like Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) and automated investing plans such as Moomoo‘s Regular Savings Plan (RSP) can be useful. 

By investing consistently on a fixed schedule, you can reduce the temptation to constantly react to short-term market movements and stay focused on your long-term goals.

Practise Before You Risk Your Real Money

Many beginners think they need to start investing immediately. But the reality is, you don’t have to risk real money on day one.

One useful feature inside Moomoo is Paper Trading, which allows you to practise investing using virtual money.

You can test different strategies, learn how placing buy and sell orders works, and get familiar with market movements without risking your actual savings.

Of course, paper trading isn’t exactly the same as investing with real money. The emotions are different when your own money is on the line.

But it gives beginners a safe environment to build confidence, understand how the market works, and learn basic risk management before committing real funds.

Other Research and Learning Tools Inside Moomoo

Moomoo also has research tools that can help beginners learn more before making decisions.

For those looking to analyse companies more thoroughly, Moomoo‘s Stock Screener allows users to filter stocks based on factors such as revenue and profit growth, company size, dividend yields, valuation metrics, financial performance as well as technical indicators.

Meanwhile, the Heat List highlights stocks that are attracting significant market attention. While popularity alone shouldn’t determine an investment decision, it can serve as a useful starting point for further research.

Of course, no tool should replace independent research. Instead, these features are best viewed as resources that help investors organise information and identify potential opportunities more efficiently.

Beyond market research tools, Moomoo also offers educational content that is helpful for anyone still building their investing knowledge. Instead of jumping straight into the market and figuring things out through trial and error, you can access more than 700 educational resources covering topics such as investing fundamentals, ETFs, stocks, market terminology, portfolio building, risk management, and platform tutorials.

This can be particularly helpful for beginners who often feel overwhelmed by unfamiliar terms like P/E ratios, market capitalisation, dividends, or dollar-cost averaging. 

And for those who prefer in-person assistance, Moomoo also operates physical stores in locations such as KL Eco City, One Utama, and Pavilion Bukit Jalil, where users can seek guidance and support directly.

A Beginner-Friendly RM10,000 Investment Plan

So how can a beginner think about allocating their first RM10,000?

Here is a simple example. First, keep RM2,000 in a cash management layer.

This can be used for short-term flexibility. It gives you breathing room and prevents you from investing every single ringgit into the market immediately.

Second, allocate RM8,000 for long-term growth. For beginners, this could be through broad-based ETFs instead of individual stocks. Broad ETFs are easier to understand, more diversified, and less dependent on one company.

Third, build a monthly investing habit after that. For example, you could invest 10% of your monthly income. If 10% feels too much, start with a smaller amount. The amount is less important than building the habit.

You can use RSP to automate this process so that you do not need to manually decide every month.

A simple structure could look like this:

However, this structure is not a universal formula but it demonstrates how investors can balance liquidity, growth, and consistency. The exact allocation should always depend on personal goals, risk tolerance, and financial circumstances.

Final Thought

Your first RM10,000 does not need to be complicated.

A better approach is to keep things simple. Keep some money flexible. Invest some money for long-term growth. Then slowly build a monthly investing habit.

Cash management helps you stay prepared. ETFs help you start investing without relying too much on one company. DCA helps you stay consistent even when the market moves up and down.

And most importantly, learning helps you make better decisions over time.

Before investing, always understand what you are buying, know your own risk tolerance, and make decisions based on your own financial situation.

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

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The post Your First RM10,000: A Simple Beginner’s Guide to Investing in Malaysia appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

If you’ve just signed up for Moomoo Malaysia and you’re staring at the app wondering where to even begin, this guide is for you.

Think of this as your end-to-end roadmap, taking you from absolute zero to your very first investment.

Here is a quick breakdown of the steps ahead:

• Strategizing: Choosing the right assets for your risk tolerance and researching companies.
• Executing: Placing your first trade, tracking your portfolio, and selling.
• Cashing out: Exactly how to withdraw your funds when the time comes.

And before we dive in, this blog will use Moomoo as the tutorial app. If you haven’t signed up yet, use my link here and enter code ZIET11 to unlock exclusive rewards.

Choosing What to Invest In (Risk vs Reward)

Before you jump into stocks, take a step back and ask yourself three things:

• Time horizon: Are you investing for 2-3 years, or for the long run (5 to 10 years)?
• Risk appetite: How much volatility (price going up and down) can you handle without panicking?
• Investment goal: Do you want your money to grow over time, or do you need regular passive income from dividends?

Your answers will naturally point you toward the right type of investment.

The general rule is simple: higher risk, higher potential reward, and vice versa. Here’s a rough framework based on three levels of risk tolerance:

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Sources: RinggitPlus, EPF, BNM, Vanguard, StateStreet, iProperty, Curvo.

Yes, some of those higher-end numbers look very attractive. But it’s just as important to understand that they can go the other way too. Nothing is guaranteed here.

One practical way to reduce risk is through diversification, which means spreading your money across different asset types, sectors, or markets so you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket. The right mix will depend on your risk tolerance.

Top Down Analysis: Country → Sector → Asset

When it comes to researching where to invest, most experienced investors use what’s called a Top Down Analysis. You start big, then zoom in: country first, then sector, then individual stock.

Step 1: Country (Macro Level)

Start by identifying which country has a good investment climate. You generally want to look for economies that support free trade, have stable monetary policies, and are attracting investment in high-growth industries like tech.

Some useful indicators:

• GDP (Gross Domestic Product): Measures how fast an economy is growing. An upward trend is a positive sign.
• Political climate: Political instability is bad for markets because it introduces unpredictable policy risk. Look for markets with minimal drama.
• Currency strength: If the local currency weakens against the Ringgit, your investment might look good on paper but lose value once converted back.

You can find economic data like GDP, CPI, imports and exports directly on the Moomoo app: go to Market → MY → Economic Calendar.

Step 2: Sector

Once you’ve picked a market, compare the different industries within it. You’re looking for the sector that drives the most economic activity. For Malaysia, that might be banking. For the US, it’s typically tech.

On the Moomoo app: Market → MY → Heat Map. Larger squares = bigger sectors. Green = trending up for the day. Red = trending down.

You can also check Investment Themes for hot sectors, or browse Featured Lists for stock ideas.

Step 3: Stock

Once you’ve narrowed down to a sector, pick a company you understand or have conviction in. For this guide, we’ll use Maybank as an example, one of the largest banks in Malaysia. But the same process applies to any stock, whether it’s on Bursa Malaysia or the US market.

Fundamental Analysis: Tabs You Need to Know

This is the part where you actually study the company. It sounds intimidating but Moomoo makes it very accessible. Most of the data is already calculated for you.

Tab 1: Chart

The chart shows price movement over different time periods, from 1 day all the way to the full history since IPO. These charts help you visualise price trends, support levels, and resistance levels. Useful for active traders, though less critical for long-term investors.

Tab 2: Warrants

Think of a warrant like an option. It’s issued by the company itself, and you can buy it just like a regular stock.

Once you hold a warrant, you have the right to subscribe for new ordinary shares at a fixed price (called the strike price) within a set period (the expiry date). If the market moves in your favour and buying via the warrant is cheaper than buying from the open market, you exercise it. If not, you simply let it expire without doing anything – no obligation.

For example, if a warrant has a strike price of RM 8.00 but the stock is trading at RM 7.50, there’s no reason to exercise. You’d just let it go. But if the stock rises to RM 9.00, that same warrant suddenly looks attractive.

That said, warrants add a layer of complexity that isn’t necessary when you’re just getting started. Stick with regular stocks and ETFs first, and revisit warrants once you’re more comfortable with how markets move.

Tab 3: Comments

The Comments section shows what other Moomoo users are saying about the stock. Sometimes you’ll find sharp insights, sometimes completely the opposite view to yours, which is actually valuable. It’s a good way to pressure-test your own thesis and check if your view might be biased.

Tab 4: News

All relevant news for the stock is aggregated here, from Moomoo’s own team plus sources like The Edge Markets, Business Today, and Bernama. There’s also an Announcements tab for official company releases and a Ratings tab for analyst recommendations. Just remember to read these critically, not blindly.

Tab 5: Company (Financials)

This is where the real due diligence happens. The Company tab pulls together everything you need for quantitative analysis: Revenue Estimates, Analyst Ratings, Company Valuation, Key Financials, Revenue Breakdown, and more. 

• Under Company Valuation, you’ll find:

P/E (Price-to-Earnings): Compares the stock’s price to how much the company earns per share.

• High P/E: investors expect strong future growth, or the stock may be overpriced
• Low P/E: could be a bargain, or could reflect a struggling business
• Always compare against the industry average, not in isolation

P/B (Price-to-Book): Compares the stock price to the company’s net asset value (what it would be worth if you liquidated everything and paid off all debts).

• P/B below 1: you’re buying the company for less than its book value, which can signal an undervalued stock
• Commonly used to evaluate banks and financial companies

P/S (Price-to-Sales): Compares the stock price to the company’s total revenue.

• Most useful for companies that aren’t yet profitable, where P/E isn’t applicable
• Lower P/S generally means the stock is cheaper relative to the revenue it generates

These ratios help you compare the stock against its industry average or a specific competitor. You can even add a competing company directly in the app via the Compare function.

Under Key Financials, you’ll find metrics like Net Profit Margin, Earnings Per Share (EPS), and the full financial report. Moomoo also breaks down revenue by business segment and by market geography.

The three core financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow) are also accessible here.

Don’t forget to check Major Shareholders. If institutions like EPF (the government pension fund) are holding a significant portion of a company’s shares, that tells you something about the quality of the business. Big, careful institutional money doesn’t go just anywhere.

Finally, scroll down to Dividends to see the payout history, dividend per share, ex-dividend date, and payment date. If you buy a stock before the ex-dividend date, you qualify for the upcoming payout.

Setting Up Your Watchlist

Found a stock you’re interested in but not ready to buy yet? Add it to your watchlist.

Search for the stock, open it, and tap the heart icon at the top of the page. That’s it. You can then access your full watchlist from the bottom-left of the app. You can also organise your watchlist into custom categories, grouping by sector or market, for example.

How to Buy a Stock on Moomoo

This is the fun part.

Search for your stock (or find it in your watchlist), tap Trade, and you’ll see the order screen.

Quick note on trading hours:

For US stocks specifically, Moomoo supports 24-hour trading on weekdays, which is handy if you want to place a trade outside regular market hours.

Order types to know:

• Limit Order (default): You set the price you want to buy at. The trade only goes through when the stock hits that price.
• Market Order: Buy immediately at the current market price.
• Odd Lot: Useful if you want fewer than 100 shares (the standard lot size on Bursa Malaysia). For US stocks, you can buy as little as 1 share or even a fraction of a share.

Time in Force:

• Day: Order expires at the end of today’s trading session.
• GTD (Good Till Date): Order stays open until a date you specify.
• GTC (Good Till Cancelled): Order stays open for up to 90 days.

Once you’ve set your order type, price, and quantity, tap Buy. You’ll receive a notification once the order is fulfilled. You can check your positions under Portfolio and see the order status under the Orders tab. If you want to learn more we have covered that in a different blog.

Monitoring Your Portfolio

After buying, go to Account → Assets to see your full portfolio. Under Positions, you’ll find each stock, its current market value, your average buying price, and your unrealised profit or loss.

It’s completely normal to feel anxious when prices drop. But investing is a long-term game. Short-term movements are noise. What matters is the longer-term trajectory.

Here’s something worth looking at: pull up a stock’s 1D or 6M chart and it might look all red. But zoom out to 1Y or 5Y, and a fundamentally sound company will almost always show a different picture.

Check your portfolio occasionally. But don’t let daily price movements consume your mental bandwidth.

How to Sell a Stock

Go to Account → Assets → Positions, select the stock you want to sell, and tap Trade. Choose your order type (Limit or Market), enter how many shares you want to sell, and hit Sell.

If you want to automatically protect yourself from large losses, you can use Stop Limit orders:

• Set a Trigger Price (the price at which the order activates).
• Set a Sell Price (the minimum price you’re willing to accept).

For example: Apple is at USD 200. You’re okay cutting losses if it falls to USD 180. Set trigger at USD 190, limit at USD 180. If the stock drops to USD 190, Moomoo will try to sell it between USD 180 and USD 190.

On the flip side, if you want to lock in a profit target, use a Limit-If-Touched order. Same concept, but for taking profit instead of limiting loss.

That said, for most investors, a Limit or Market order is more than enough.

One important note on settlement: after selling, the cash doesn’t become available for withdrawal immediately.

• Malaysia: T+2 (two trading days to settle)
• US: T+1 (one trading day to settle)

How to Withdraw Your Money

Head to Account → Transfers → Withdraw. Enter your bank details and follow the steps. Money typically reflects in your bank account within 1 to 3 business days.

Final Thought

That’s the full picture, from funding your account to cashing out your returns.

Investing doesn’t need to be complicated. But it does require you to be intentional: understand what you’re buying, know your risk tolerance, and have a plan for the long run.

If you’re just getting started and want exclusive rewards on Moomoo, sign up using my link below and deposit with code ZIET11.

If you prefer a video version of this article, I have made a video covering the exact same thing -do check it out here! Thanks for reading!

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

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The post Your First Investment: A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide On How To Study A Company (with Moomoo) appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Buying your first stock can feel scary.

You open the app or trading platform, see so many buttons, stock prices moving up and down, words like “limit order”, “bid”, “ask”, “settlement”, “time-in-force”… and suddenly it feels like you need a finance degree just to buy one share.

But don’t worry, once you break it down, buying a stock is actually quite straightforward.

You just need to understand what you are buying, how much you are buying, what price you are paying, and when the trade is completed.

So in this article, let’s go through the basics step by step.

What Is a Stock?

A stock, such as a Malaysia stock or US stock, is basically a small ownership stake in a company.

When a company becomes publicly listed, investors can buy and sell its shares on a stock exchange, such as Bursa Malaysia, the New York Stock Exchange, or Nasdaq.

So when you buy a stock, you are not just buying a random price chart.

You are buying a small piece of a real business.

For example, if you buy Apple shares, you own a tiny part of Apple. If you buy Maybank shares, you own a tiny part of Maybank.

There are generally two ways investors make money from stocks:

1. Capital gain: when the stock price goes up and you sell at a higher price.
2. Dividend: when the company distributes part of its profits to shareholders.

Of course, stock prices can also go down. So before you buy anything, you need to understand both the upside and the risk.

What Is Shareholding?

Shareholding simply means how much of a company you own.

Imagine a company is divided into 10 equal pieces. If you buy 1 piece, you own 1 out of 10 pieces.

That means your shareholding is: 1 / 10 × 100% = 10%

In the real stock market, companies are divided into millions or even billions of shares. So for retail investors like us, our ownership percentage is usually very small.

But the idea is the same.

When you buy shares, you become a shareholder. You own a tiny slice of the business, and your investment value moves together with how the market values that business.

Step 1: Deposit Money Into Your Brokerage Account

Before you can buy your first stock, you need to deposit money into your brokerage account.

The deposit process usually looks something like this:

1. Create an account first. 
2. Search ‘Special Deposit’. 
3. Key in code ‘ZIET11’.
4. Click ‘Deposit Now’.
5. Select FPX Express Deposit (my usual go-to among other methods)
6. Choose your bank.
7. Fill in the amount you want to deposit.
8. Confirm the transfer.

One important reminder: only deposit money that you are ready to invest. Don’t use emergency savings, rent money, or money you need in the short term.

Investing should help you build wealth, not create unnecessary financial stress.If you don’t have a broker account yet, here’s some good news for you. For a very limited time, new users will get up to RM1,900 worth of welcome rewards when you sign up. So feel free to use my exclusive code ‘ZIET11’ to unlock all the new users’ rewards!

Step 2: Search for the Stock You Want to Buy

Once your money is inside your brokerage account, you can start searching for the stock.

You can usually search by:

• Company name, for example “Apple” or “Maybank”
• Ticker symbol, for example “AAPL” or “MAYBANK”

After you find the stock, click into it, then tap Trade or Buy.

This will bring you to the order page. And this is where many beginners get confused.

Because suddenly you’ll see things like:

• Session
• Price
• Order type
• Quantity
• Time-in-force

Let’s go through them one by one.

Step 3: Understand Trading Sessions

A trading session refers to when the stock market is open for buying and selling.

Generally, stock markets operate from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays or special market closures.

For the US market, you may also see different sessions like:

• Pre-market
• Regular market hours
• After-hours trading

For beginners, it is usually easier to trade during normal market hours because there tends to be more volume and tighter spreads.

In simple terms: more buyers, more sellers, and usually fairer pricing.

So if you’re buying your first stock, don’t overcomplicate it. Start with regular trading hours.

Step 4: Understand Share Price

The share price is the price at which a stock is currently being bought or sold.

But here’s something many beginners misunderstand:

A stock is not automatically “cheap” just because its price is low.

For example, a RM1 stock is not necessarily cheaper than a RM100 stock.

Because share price depends on how many shares the company has.

The basic formula is: Share Price = Market Capitalisation / Outstanding Shares

So instead of only looking at share price, investors usually look at the overall value of the company, its earnings, growth, business quality, and valuation.

A stock price tells you what the market is currently willing to pay. It does not automatically tell you whether the company is good or bad.

Step 5: How Does Share Price Move?

Stock prices move because of buyers and sellers. There are three important terms to understand:

Bid Price

The bid price is the price someone is willing to buy the stock for.

For example, if someone is willing to buy Apple at USD274.50, that is the bid.

Ask Price

The ask price is the price someone is willing to sell the stock for.

For example, if someone wants to sell Apple at USD275.00, that is the ask.

Market Price

The market price is usually the latest traded price or the price shown around the midpoint between buyers and sellers.

The gap between the bid and ask is called the spread.

Usually, when more buyers are willing to pay higher prices, the stock price moves up. When more sellers are willing to sell at lower prices, the stock price moves down.

That’s the basic mechanism. Something like supply and demand.

Step 6: Choose Your Order Type

An order type is the instruction you give your broker on how to execute your trade.

The two most common order types beginners should understand are:

Market Order

A market order means you buy immediately at the current market price.

For example:

Buy Apple at the current market price of around USD274.61.

The advantage is speed. Your order is more likely to be executed quickly.

The downside is that you have less control over the final price, especially if the stock is moving fast.

Limit Order

A limit order means you choose the maximum price you are willing to pay.

For example:

Buy Apple only at USD274.00 or lower.

The advantage is price control. You won’t accidentally buy at a much higher price than expected.

The downside is that your order may not be executed if the market price never reaches your limit price.

For beginners, limit orders are usually easier to control because you know the exact price you are willing to accept.

What About Stop Loss?

A stop-loss order is an instruction to automatically sell a stock when it falls to a specific price.

It is mainly used to limit potential losses or protect profits without needing to monitor the market all day.

For example, if you bought a stock at RM10, you may set a stop loss at RM9. If the price falls to RM9, your broker will trigger the sell order.

Here’s some tips to decide your risk before buying:

• How much are you willing to lose?
• How much of your portfolio should one stock take up?
• Are you buying for short-term trading or long-term investing?

Step 7: Decide Your Quantity

Quantity means how many shares you want to buy.

For US stocks, many platforms allow you to buy whole shares or even fractional shares.

For example, if Apple is trading at USD274.61:

• 1 share = USD274.61
• 0.5 share = USD137.31
• 0.1 share = USD27.46
• 0.01 share = USD2.75

This is useful for beginners because you don’t need a huge amount of capital to start.

For Malaysia stocks, it usually works by lots.

In Malaysia: 1 lot = 100 shares

So if Maybank is trading at RM10.30:

• 1 lot = 100 shares = RM1,030
• 0.5 lot = 50 shares = RM515
• 0.1 lot = 10 shares = RM103
• 0.01 lot = 1 share = RM10.30

Depending on the broker and market, the minimum tradable quantity may differ. So always check the app before placing your order.

The simple formula is: Total Cost = Share Price × Number of Shares + Fees

Step 8: Choose Time-in-Force

Time-in-force tells your broker how long your order should stay active.

There are three common types:

Day Order

A day order only lasts for that trading day.

If the order is not executed by the end of the day, it expires automatically.

Example:

Buy Apple at USD274.00 today only.

GTD — Good-Till-Date

A GTD order stays active until the date you choose.

Example:

Buy Apple at USD274.00 until 31 December 2025.

If the price reaches your target before that date, the order may execute. If not, it expires.

GTC — Good-Till-Cancelled

A GTC order stays active until it is executed or until you manually cancel it.

Example:

Buy Apple at USD274.00 until I cancel this order.

This is useful if you have a long-term target price, but you should still monitor your open orders.

You don’t want to forget an order exists and accidentally buy something weeks later without remembering why.

Which Stock Should You Start With?

For beginners, one common question is:

Should I buy individual stocks or ETFs?

An individual stock gives you exposure to one company.

For example, buying Nvidia means your return depends heavily on Nvidia’s business performance, investor expectations, and share price movement.

The upside can be higher, but the risk is also more concentrated.

An ETF, on the other hand, gives you exposure to a basket of stocks.

For example, an S&P 500 ETF like VOO gives investors exposure to around 500 large US companies. Instead of betting on one company, you are buying a basket of companies.

That means:

• More diversification
• Lower single-company risk
• Lower cost compared to many actively managed funds
• Easier for beginners to understand

This does not mean ETFs are risk-free. They can still go down when the market falls.

But compared to picking one company, ETFs are often a cleaner starting point for beginners who want broad market exposure without analysing every single stock.

Step 9: How to Withdraw Money

At some point, you may want to withdraw your cash.

The withdrawal process is usually:

1. Go to Accounts.
2. Click Transfers.
3. Click Withdraw.
4. Input the amount.
5. Confirm.

Also, if your money is currently invested in stocks, you cannot withdraw it immediately. You need to sell the stock first, then wait for settlement.

Which brings us to the next important point.

Step 10: Understand Settlement

Settlement is when a trade is officially completed.

It is the point where:

• The buyer pays the seller
• The seller delivers the shares
• The cash becomes cleared

This matters because when you sell a stock, the cash may appear in your account, but it may not be withdrawable immediately.

You need to wait for the settlement period.

As of current official market information, Bursa Malaysia normal transactions settle on T+2, meaning two trading days after the transaction date. Singapore and Hong Kong cash stock markets also generally use T+2 settlement.

So if you sell a Malaysia stock on Monday, the cash may only be fully settled on Wednesday.

Different markets can have different rules, so always check your broker’s latest settlement information inside the app.

A Simple First-Stock Checklist

Before you buy your first stock, ask yourself:

1. Do I understand what this company does?
2. Am I buying because I researched it, or because everyone online is talking about it?
3. How much of my portfolio will this stock take up?
4. Am I using a market order or limit order?
5. What price am I willing to pay?
6. How many shares am I buying?
7. Do I understand the fees?
8. Do I know when my trade will settle?
9. Am I prepared if the stock drops 10%, 20%, or more?

If you cannot answer these questions, slow down.

The stock market will still be there tomorrow.

Trading fees (Moomoo Malaysia)

Sign Up Now to Make Your First Trade (Limited time exclusive rewards!)

Click here to create an account or use my exclusive code ‘ZIET11’ to unlock all the new users’ rewards!

Final Thought

Buying your first stock is not about trying to get rich quickly. It is about learning how the market works.

Once you understand stocks, shareholding, bid and ask prices, order types, quantity, settlement, and withdrawals, the whole process becomes much less intimidating.

Start small. Learn the mechanics. Make mistakes with small amounts, not your life savings.

And most importantly, remember that buying a stock means buying a piece of a business.

Treat it like ownership, not gambling. That is how you build confidence as an investor.

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

Share the Wealth

Found this information useful? Share this post with your friends and family to help them stay informed about what’s happening around them. And if you’re not already subscribed, join our community to receive more insightful content directly to your hands.

The post How to Place Your First Trade Order: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (with moomoo app) appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Most people think financial freedom means quitting your job, starting a business, or suddenly becoming a full-time investor.

But for most working adults, financial freedom actually starts with something much more boring – Your monthly salary.

If you are working a 9-to-6 job, the goal is not to escape work overnight. The goal is to slowly build a system where your money starts working quietly in the background, even while you sleep, work, eat, or scroll TikTok at night.

And honestly, that is how most people should approach wealth. Not through hype. Not through gambling. Not through “all-in” decisions. But through better money habits, consistent investing, and understanding the trade-offs behind every financial decision.

So in this article, let’s break down the 9-6 financial freedom guide.

Start With the 50/30/20 Rule

Before we even talk about investing, we need to talk about budgeting.

Because no matter how good your investment strategy is, it won’t matter if every month you earn RM5,000 and spend RM5,300.A simple starting point is the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. The idea is:

Is this rule perfect? No.

If you live in KL and rent is expensive, your “needs” may be more than 50%. If you live with your parents, your needs may be much lower.

But the point is not to follow the rule blindly. The point is to have a simple framework. Because once you can see where your money goes, you can finally control it.

The Real Trick: Pay Yourself First

Most people manage money like this:

Salary comes in → pay rent → pay car loan → buy food → go out → pay subscriptions → whatever is left, save.

The problem is, usually there is nothing left. That is why the more useful method is to pay yourself first.

Meaning, the moment your salary comes in, you immediately set aside money for savings and investments before spending on everything else.

For example, if your salary is RM5,000, your monthly waterfall could look like this:

Notice the key difference. Savings and investments come first, not last.

This one change is powerful because it forces your lifestyle to adjust around your financial goals, instead of letting your financial goals become whatever is left after your lifestyle. Very simple. But very effective.

Track Your Net Worth, Not Just Your Salary

A lot of people measure financial progress by salary.

“My salary is RM4,000.”

“My salary is RM8,000.”

“My salary is RM15,000.”

But salary alone does not tell the full story.

Someone earning RM15,000 but spending RM16,000 is not financially healthy. Meanwhile, someone earning RM5,000 but saving and investing consistently may be building wealth quietly.

That is why you should track your net worth.

The formula is simple: Net Worth = Assets – Liabilities

Your assets include things like:

• Savings
• EPF
• Property
• Investments
• Business ownership

Your liabilities include:

• PTPTN
• Car loan
• House loan
• Credit card debt
• Personal loan

This gives you a much clearer picture of where you actually stand. Because the goal is not just to earn more. The goal is to slowly increase your assets and reduce bad liabilities. That is how wealth is built.

Understand Opportunity Cost

Every financial decision has a trade-off. When you choose one thing, you are giving up something else. That is the opportunity cost.

If you spend RM300 on a night out, that RM300 is no longer available for investing, emergency savings, courses, books, or anything else that may improve your life. This does not mean you should never spend money.

But it does mean you should understand what each decision costs you – not just in ringgit, but in future options.

For example:

• Buying a new phone may cost you RM4,000.
• But the opportunity cost could be one course that improves your skills.
• Or a few months of ETF investing.
• Or an emergency fund buffer.
• Or capital to start a small side hustle.

Once you understand opportunity cost, money becomes more than just “can afford or cannot afford”. The better question becomes: Is this the best use of my money right now?

Use Money to Buy Opportunities

Here’s something I think many people get wrong. Money is not just for spending. Money is for buying opportunities.

That is the real value of money. Not flexing. Not showing off. Not buying things just to prove that you’re successful. Money gives you options. And options are freedom.

There are generally four things money can help you buy.

1. Freedom of Choice

With enough savings, you don’t have to accept every bad opportunity.

You can reject toxic jobs, negotiate better, or take time to think before making big life decisions.

2. Skills

Courses, certifications, mentorships, books, events – these can be some of the highest ROI spending if they help you increase your income.

3. Time

Sometimes, spending money to save time is worth it.

For example, outsourcing cleaning, taking Grab when it saves hours, or paying for tools that reduce repetitive work.

Not because you’re lazy. But because your time can be redirected into higher-value work.

4. Bigger Opportunities

Once you have capital, you can invest, compound, start a business, or take risks that were not available when you were living paycheck to paycheck. 

This is why money management matters. Because money is not the end goal. Money is the tool that helps you create more choices.

The Money Formula: Time = Money

We often hear people say “time is money”. But the relationship is actually deeper than that.

The simple money formula looks like this:

Money → Buys Time → Helps You Solve Problems → Saves More Time → Creates More Money

That’s the loop. The more money you have, the more time you can buy. The more time you have, the more problems you can solve. The more valuable problems you solve, the more money you can make.

This is also why skills matter. If you can solve bigger problems, whether in your job, business, content, sales, finance, tech, or operations, your earning power increases.

And once your earning power increases, you can save and invest more. 

So financial freedom is not just about cutting expenses. It is also about increasing your ability to solve valuable problems.

Know the Risk and Reward of Different Assets

Not all investments are the same. Some are low risk but lower return. Some are higher risk but potentially higher return. Some are liquid. Some are beginner-friendly. Some are absolutely not for beginners.

This is not a guarantee of return. It is just a rough way to understand the relationship between risk and reward. Generally, the higher the potential return, the higher the risk.

Cash and fixed deposits are safer, but returns are lower.

Malaysia stocks, US stocks, ETFs, REITs, and property can grow wealth over time, but values can fluctuate.

Options and crypto can move very fast, but they can also destroy capital very fast.

So if you are still new, don’t start at the most complicated end of the spectrum. Start with the basics.

Why ETFs Are Beginner-Friendly

If you are a working adult with a full-time job, you probably don’t have time to analyse 50 individual companies every week.

That is why ETFs can be a good starting point.

An ETF, or exchange-traded fund, lets you invest into a basket of stocks through one single instrument.

For example:

• VOO gives exposure to the S&P 500.
• QQQM tracks the Nasdaq-100, which is more technology-heavy.
• VIG focuses on US companies with a history of increasing dividends.
• VTI gives broad exposure to the US stock market.
• VT gives exposure to the global stock market.

The main benefit is diversification. Instead of betting everything on one company, you spread your risk across many companies.

For example, buying one individual stock like Nvidia means your investment depends heavily on Nvidia’s performance. But buying a broad ETF means you are investing into a whole basket of companies.

That does not mean ETFs cannot fall. They can. But for most beginners, ETFs are often simpler than trying to pick the next big stock.

How to Start Investing

Once you understand budgeting, net worth, opportunity cost, and risk, then only we talk about platforms.

On a brokerage app or trading platform like Moomoo, investors can look at:

• Stock charts
• Fund performance
• News & Announcements
• Fund profiles
• Dividend summaries
• Portfolio holdings
• ETF comparison tools
• Regular Savings Plans
• Money market funds

These tools help you understand what you are buying before you invest.

And this is important because many beginners do the opposite. They buy first, then research later. Please don’t.

Research first. Understand first. Then only invest.

Regular Savings Plan: Automating Your Investing Habit

One useful feature for working adults is a Regular Savings Plan (RSP).

Instead of manually deciding every month whether to invest, you can set a recurring plan.

For example:

• Invest RM500 every month into an ETF
• Invest weekly into a selected asset
• Build positions slowly over time

This helps remove emotions from the process. Because in real life, most people are bad at timing the market.

When prices go up, they feel FOMO. When prices go down, they panic. When the market is boring, they forget to invest.

A regular savings plan solves this by turning investing into a habit. Not perfect, but practical. And for 9-to-6 workers, practicality matters a lot.

Cash Plus and Money Market Funds

Not all your money needs to go into stocks or ETFs. Some money should stay liquid.

This is where money market funds can be useful.

A money market fund is generally lower risk compared to stocks. It is commonly used for short-term cash parking, emergency funds, or idle cash that you don’t want to leave earning close to nothing.

Moomoo Cash Plus is positioned as a lower-risk product with features like:

• Potential returns around 2.7%–6% p.a. depending on fund and market conditions
• High liquidity
• No lock-in
• Suitable as a starter-level instrument

This can be useful for people who are not ready to invest everything into the stock market yet.

For example, instead of keeping all extra cash in a normal savings account, you can consider placing part of it into a low-risk cash management product while keeping it accessible.

But remember: lower risk does not mean zero risk. Always read the fund documents and understand where your money goes.

Sign Up Now to Make Your First Trade (Limited time exclusive rewards!)

Click here to create an account or use my exclusive code ‘ZIET11’ to unlock all the new users’ rewards!

The Real Path for a 9-to-6 Worker

If I had to simplify the whole financial freedom journey for a working adult, it would look like this:

1. Track your income and expenses.
2. Use the 50/30/20 rule as a starting guide.
3. Pay yourself first.
4. Build emergency savings.
5. Track your net worth.
6. Understand opportunity cost.
7. Use money to buy skills, time, and options.
8. Start investing with suitable risk.
9. Use ETFs or diversified instruments if you don’t have time to pick stocks.
10. Automate the process through regular investing.
11. Stay consistent for years.

Financial freedom is not built in one month. It is built through repeated boring decisions that compound over time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Before we wrap up, here are some mistakes I see beginners make all the time.

1. Investing Before Budgeting

If you cannot manage a RM5,000 salary, earning RM10,000 may not solve the problem. Fix the system first.

2. Chasing High Returns Without Understanding Risk

A product promising high return is not automatically good. Always ask: what is the risk?

3. Putting Everything Into One Asset

Even if you love one stock, don’t let one asset decide your entire future. Diversify.

4. Confusing Trading With Investing

Trading is short-term and requires more monitoring. Investing is long-term and more suitable for most working adults. Know which game you are playing.

5. Waiting for the Perfect Time

The market will never feel perfect. The economy will always have problems. Interest rates will change. Elections will happen. Recessions will come and go.

Start small, learn, and build consistency.

Final Thought

Financial freedom for a 9-to-6 worker is not about quitting your job tomorrow.

It is about slowly building a financial system that gives you more control over your life.

Because one day, the goal is not just to work for money. The goal is to have your money quietly working for you too. Even while you sleep.

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

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Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

If most of your portfolio is in the US market, are you actually diversified?

For years, the strategy was simple, just buy the US S&P 500 and hold it. And to be fair, it works when the US is still home to the world’s largest companies. 

But today, there is a structural issue many investors overlook. The top 10 companies alone already make up nearly 40% of the entire index. 

This means your “diversified” portfolio may actually be heavily concentrated in a small group of tech giants.

​​And with geopolitical risks rising, that kind of concentration can backfire quickly. The IMF has already warned that shocks in one region can easily spill across global markets. 

You don’t need to leave the US, but you shouldn’t rely on it entirely.

Why Diversification Matters More Than Ever

When your portfolio is heavily tied to one market, everything moves together.

We saw this clearly in 2022, when the MAAG7 stocks dropped more than 20% after the Fed started tightening. Many investors reacted emotionally and sold at the worst time.

Yet those same companies are now trading above their previous highs. 

This highlights a key idea: Diversification is not about avoiding volatility. It’s about controlling how your portfolio reacts to it.

You cannot control market direction, but you can control your exposure.

The US Market: The Core, But Not Everything

The US market still plays a critical role in most portfolios.

It is home to companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia, businesses that influence not just the US, but global markets as a whole.

For most investors, ETFs provide the simplest way to gain exposure. They allow you to participate in broad market performance without relying on individual stock selection.

Instead of guessing what to buy, you can utilize platforms like Moomoo to help you in investing. Go into the ETF section, you can start by exploring broad index ETFs like S&P 500 or Nasdaq-based funds. With Moomoo, you can also invest worldwide, such as Bursa Malaysia, Singapore market and the US market.

A practical approach is to review the ETF’s profile and supporting documents, such as the fund fact sheet. These provide key insights into:

• the underlying holdings
• the level of concentration
• sector exposure
• and how the ETF fits within a broader portfolio

Understanding what an ETF actually holds is critical because even diversified products can still be heavily concentrated in certain sectors or companies.

Here’s how you can explore ETFs yourself on Moomoo app: 

Historically, this approach has worked. The S&P 500 has delivered an average annual return of almost 11% for the last 7 decades, even through crises, and in many cases, it ended up higher after one year. 

But there is a shift happening.

The US market is strong. But it is also increasingly concentrated.

That’s why the US should remain your foundation, not your entire portfolio.

Diversification Beyond Geography

Most investors think diversification means investing in different countries.

But that’s only half the story.

A properly diversified portfolio also considers what actually drives returns.

Different asset classes behave differently under different condition:

• Equities → growth
• Bonds → stability
• Commodities → inflation hedge

The idea here is simple. You don’t just want different countries, you want different sources of return.

There are other asset classes ETFs available to trade on Moomoo as below: 

Why Asia Is Becoming More Relevant

With geopolitical risks rising, many investors are starting to look beyond the US.

Across the world, businesses are actively repositioning themselves into regions that are more stable, more predictable, and less dependent on a single supply chain.

And a very big part of this shift is driven by the semiconductor industry.

With the rise of AI, demand for chips has surged. At the same time, companies are restructuring supply chains to reduce dependency on a single region.

That’s why more supply chains are moving into Asia. 

You can see this through capital flows. More FDI is moving into Asia, especially like Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. 

This is being driven by:

• data centre expansion
• manufacturing growth
• supply chain diversification

If you look at the broader market performance, indices like Japan’s Nikkei, Korea’s KOSPI, and Taiwan’s TAIEX, they have all shown strong momentum in recent years.

Asia’s Role in the Global Value Chain

But here’s what most investors miss. Asia is not just a region, it is a system.

Modern technology is not built in one place. It is assembled across multiple countries, each specialising in a specific part of the process.

At the higher end:

• Taiwan → advanced chip manufacturing
• Korea → memory and AI components
• Japan → materials and precision technologies

Further down:

• Southeast Asia → assembly, testing, packaging

This layered structure is not accidental. It reflects decades of specialisation.

And because of this: No single country controls the system, but every part of the system is essential.

When you invest in Asia, you are not just diversifying geographically, you are adding a completely different component that could hedge your downside risks, or even drive your portfolio further.

Understanding China Exposure

Before we go further into China, we should understand the Classification of China shares. 

In reality, there are multiple ways to gain exposure, and they behave very differently. 

In simple terms, A-shares are China from the inside while H-shares are China through a global lens. 

Hong Kong: The Gateway Market 

For investors looking to gain exposure to China, one market consistently stands out: Hong Kong.

Hong Kong sits at the intersection of China’s economy and global capital.

This positioning allows it to function as a bridge between local Chinese companies and international investors.

It’s the largest offshore RMB hub in the world, with around RMB 1 trillion held outside mainland China. A significant portion of global RMB transactions flows through Hong Kong. 

Many Chinese companies choose to list there because it gives them access to international investors, while still maintaining exposure to their core domestic business.

For investors, this creates a very practical advantage.

Instead of navigating the restrictions and complexity of mainland markets, you can gain exposure to China through a system that is already familiar.

At the same time, Hong Kong is one of the most liquid markets in Asia.

Because global institutions actively trade here, it is generally easier to enter or exit positions, as well as execute trades efficiently. 

Liquidity reduces friction and friction is one of the biggest hidden costs in investing.

There is also the question of transparency.

Compared to mainland exchanges, Hong Kong operates under a more internationally aligned regulatory framework. This makes it easier to:

• access information
• understand disclosures
• navigate the market

For most people, this is usually where they start when looking at China.

It becomes the most practical way to gain China exposure without dealing with unnecessary complexity.

China’s Domestic Market: A Different Driver

Yes, investing in China through Hong Kong is more efficient, but this is different from investing directly in China’s domestic market when both markets are driven by different structures and forces.

The first major difference lies in how each market is structured.

When investing through Hong Kong, exposure tends to be concentrated in:

• large internet platforms
• financial institutions such as banks
• property
• energy-related sectors

In contrast, the mainland A-share market offers broader exposure across:

• domestic consumption
• manufacturing
• industrial supply chains
• emerging sectors within China’s economy

This difference starts at the composition level.

In the Hong Kong market, you are looking at Chinese companies that are more exposed to global capital. These are usually larger, more established firms, and their prices move with global sentiment.

However, the behavior is different in the domestic A-share market. It reflects directly what’s happening inside China. For example,  domestic demand, policy changes, and local economic cycles tend to play a bigger role here.

Thus, the market doesn’t always move in sync with global markets. There are periods where global markets are weak, but China’s domestic market is moving on its own cycle.

From a portfolio perspective, the question is not just whether you invest in China, but how.

Different markets within China are driven by different forces, offering a set of return drivers that are not present in the US or other developed markets.

While A-shares offer direct access to China’s domestic economy, they are not always the easiest market for international investors to access.

This is where Hong Kong becomes particularly useful.

Instead of entering mainland markets directly, many investors choose to gain exposure through Hong Kong-listed ETFs. 

This approach provides:

• simpler access
• familiar regulatory structures
• greater liquidity

You can think of Hong Kong as your entry point. It allows you to get exposure in a more structured way, without adding too much complexity at the start. For most investors, especially beginners, this approach tends to be easier to manage.

If you are still evaluating the China market, structured research tools like Moomoo AI can help you narrow down your approach.

For example, instead of analysing everything manually, you can focus on key questions such as:

• What are the main drivers of the China stock market today?
• Which ETFs provide exposure to A-shares?

This allows you to understand the market more efficiently and make more informed decisions.

Steps to use Moomoo AI: 

Singapore: Stability Over Growth

Not every market in a portfolio needs to deliver high growth.

Some markets play a different role and Singapore is a good example of that.

Compared to markets like the US or China, Singapore is not designed to be a high-growth engine. Instead, it offers something equally important: stability and income consistency. 

Over the past decade, it has consistently delivered relatively high dividend yields compared to many other markets.

If you look at the Singapore market more closely, this becomes clear.

The Straits Times Index (STI), which tracks the top 30 companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. A lot of these are established businesses: 

• Banks
• Real estate 
• Infrastructure-related companies 

These are not companies that are trying to become the next Nvidia or Tesla. But they generate steady cash flow and tend to distribute a significant portion of it back to investors through dividends.

Singapore has also positioned itself as a regional financial hub, connecting capital flows across Asia, especially into Southeast Asia’s growing economies and tech ecosystems.

When you invest in Singapore, you are not just investing in a local economy. You are also gaining exposure to its role as a connector within the region.

From a portfolio perspective, Singapore serves a balancing function.

Growth-focused markets tend to be more volatile. While they can generate higher returns, they also come with larger swings.

Singapore helps offset this by providing:

• more stable performance
• consistent dividend income
• lower volatility compared to growth-heavy markets

Returns matter, but so does the ability to stay invested.

A portfolio that fluctuates too much can be difficult to hold, especially for newer investors. This is often what leads to emotional decisions at the wrong time.

Singapore addresses this problem.

It may not deliver explosive growth, but it improves portfolio stability, making it easier to stay invested over the long term.

And in investing, that consistency often matters more than chasing the highest returns.

How to Build a Diversified Portfolio

When it comes to ETFs, many investors tend to overcomplicate the process.

The problem is not a lack of understanding, it’s execution. Once you start exploring different markets, sectors, and assets classes, it can quickly become overwhelming. 

A more practical approach is to simplify the process by starting with a structured framework. 

And this is where Moomoo fits naturally into the process. Instead of randomly picking ETFs, begin by looking at broad ETF pages.

But if you want to go deeper, the next step is to narrow your choices. Rather than manually going through dozens of ETFs, use the ETF filter tool to align selection with your financial goals and risk tolerance. There are more than 50 filters available to fine-tune your search. Whether it’s a specific sector, performance level, or risk tolerance, you can select what best suits your needs. 

For example, if you are looking for Hong Kong stable income index ETFs, you can filter them using screener as below: 

When you are narrowing down your shortlist, comparison becomes critical. 

Instead of evaluating ETFs in isolation, Moomoo allows you to compare up to 6 symbols ETFs’ side by side based on: 

• historical performance
• expense ratio
• top 10 holdings
• Risk exposure  

Here’s how you can compare the ETFs from your screener: 

Two ETFs may track similar markets, but their underlying composition and cost structure can lead to very different outcomes.

And since you’re already here, I’ve actually prepared the comparison table for you. 

Once you have selected an ETF, you can simply follow the steps to trade on your Moomoo account: 

Trying to time the market is difficult and often counterproductive.

A more sustainable strategy is Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA), investing a fixed amount regularly over time.

This approach:

• reduces emotional decision-making
• smooths entry points
• builds long-term discipline

And Moomoo’s RSP (Regular Savings Plan) allows you to automate this process. 

For example, if you want to invest in VOO ETF every 1st of the month, you can refer below to create a plan on Moomoo: 

In this way, you don’t need to find the perfect entry point, and Moomoo helps you to stay consistent. 

How to Achieve True Portfolio Diversification with Trading Platform Moomoo

Moomoo is the ideal trading platform for portfolio diversification because it provides seamless, low-cost access to multiple global markets, including the US, Malaysia (Bursa Malaysia), and Hong Kong, all within a single integrated account. By combining advanced AI-driven analytical tools with institutional-grade market data, Moomoo enables investors to balance high-growth US tech stocks with stable, local dividend-yielding assets, effectively mitigating geographical and currency risks.

Building a resilient investment strategy that utilizes a multi-asset trading platform is essential. Here is how Moomoo Malaysia empowers your diversification journey:

• Multi-Market Access: While the US market offers growth, Moomoo Malaysia lets you instantly pivot to Bursa Malaysia for local REITs or to the Hong Kong market for China-centric exposure. This cross-border capability is the foundation of geographical diversification.
• Asset Class Variety: Diversification goes beyond stocks. On Moomoo, you can trade ETFs, REITs, and Structured Warrants. For instance, adding Gold ETFs through Moomoo can act as a hedge against Ringgit volatility, a strategy highly relevant to Malaysian investors.
• Institutional-Level Analytical Tools: Moomoo’s Visualized Financials and Stock Compare tools allow you to analyze correlations between different assets. By understanding how your US AI stocks move relative to Malaysian bank stocks, you can ensure your portfolio is truly diversified rather than merely holding multiple similar assets.
• Fractional Shares & Low Fees: Diversification often requires significant capital, but Moomoo’s competitive fee structure and fractional-share feature (for US markets) mean you can spread smaller amounts of capital across a wider range of companies, optimizing your risk-reward ratio without incurring high overhead costs.

By choosing Moomoo as your primary trading platform, you gain the technological edge needed to manage a sophisticated, diversified portfolio that is built to withstand global market shifts.

Final Thought

If you zoom out, the takeaway is simple. Markets don’t move together forever. Different regions perform at different times, and that’s exactly what creates opportunity. 

This is why diversification matters now more than ever. Not because we can predict what’s going to happen, but because we can build a portfolio that is prepared for it. 

At the same time, global momentum is gradually shifting. Asia is becoming more relevant, not overnight but through supply chains, capital flows and the growth of new industries. 

The goal is not to chase what is already performing. It is to position yourself for where the structure is shifting.

You don’t need to own everything. You just need the right mix.

If you still do not have a Moomoo account yet, click here to sign up for an account by using my exclusive code “ZIET11” to unlock extra rewards.

And if you prefer a visual breakdown, you can also refer to the video version of this guide. Thank you!

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Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Moomoo is probably one of the most talked about investing platforms in Malaysia right now.

If you’ve been investing or even just thinking about investing, chances are you’ve already seen their ads, their free Apple share promotions, or maybe even heard your friends talking about it.

But is Moomoo actually good or is it just popular because of the rewards?

Almost every broker is competing on fees now. Some offer zero commission. Some offer sign-up rewards. Some offer US stocks, Malaysia stocks, and even cash management products. So the real question is not just whether Moomoo is cheap anymore.

In this article, let’s break down what Moomoo offers today, what I like, who should use it, and whether I think it is still worth considering for Malaysian investors.

What is Moomoo?

To give you a quick context, Moomoo is a stock brokerage platform under Futu Holdings, a company listed on the US NASDAQ exchange.

Globally, Moomoo has grown into a platform serving 29 million users across major markets including the US, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Canada and Malaysia with USD $1.9 trillion annual trading volume.

Here in Malaysia, Moomoo operates under the regulation of the Securities Commission Malaysia and has already crossed over 1 million users locally, which is honestly quite impressive considering they only officially entered Malaysia not too long ago.

Another important point is investor protection.

If you invest through Moomoo Malaysia, your assets are also protected by the Capital Market Compensation Fund (CMC Fund) for up to RM100,000. This gives investors an additional layer of protection in the event of certain broker-related issues.

But of course, this does not mean your investments cannot go down.

If you buy a stock and the stock price drops, that is still your investment risk. The protection is more about broker-related defaults, not market losses.

New User Sign Up Rewards

If you haven’t signed up yet, Moomoo does offer attractive sign-up rewards for new users.

Based on the current campaign details provided, new users may receive free Apple shares with deposits starting from RM3000, and total rewards can go up to RM1800.

And if you’re planning to check it out, you can use my exclusive code: ‘ZIET11’. This may unlock extra rewards when you deposit, depending on the ongoing campaign.

Moomoo’s Local Presence

Since 2025, Moomoo Malaysia is no longer just an online platform. They have also started building a real physical presence in Malaysia.

They now have Moomoo stores at locations like KL Eco City, One Utama and Pavilion Bukit Jalil. Not everyone is comfortable putting money into an app just because the interface looks nice. Some people still want to see a real office, talk to real people, and get basic questions answered face-to-face.

So instead of being purely digital, Moomoo is moving towards a hybrid model.

You can invest through the app, learn online, and still walk into a physical store to ask questions when you need support. For beginners, I think this is a plus point.

Research Tools & Market Data

Access to global markets has become increasingly accessible for retail investors over the past few years. However, access alone does not necessarily translate into better investment outcomes.

A significant portion of underperformance is not due to lack of opportunity, but rather due to poor decision-making – often driven by limited information, overreliance on headlines or even reactive trading behaviour. In this context, the role of research tools becomes critical.

Moomoo positions itself not just as a trading platform, but as an integrated research environment. The platform incorporates a range of data-driven tools designed to help investors analyse securities, monitor market developments, and contextualise price movements across different asset classes and regions.

• Order Book Level 2 Market Data: Market depth where buyers and sellers are placing their orders across different price levels in real time. The more you train yourself to look at the price behind the stock, the less likely you are to buy purely because of hype.

Economic Calendar: Upcoming events like inflation data, interest rate decisions and other key data releases that may move the market. For Malaysian investors, this matters because even if we are sitting in Malaysia, our US investments are still affected by US economic data.

• Institutional Tracker: Monitor what large institutions are holding or positioning themselves in. This may include global institutions like Vanguard, and local institutions like EPF or KWAP. For retail investors, this can be useful because institutions usually have research teams, analysts and long-term portfolio strategies.

• Insights Page: Monitor how experienced investors invest individually. You can directly mirror or follow their trades directly from there. It can help you discover ideas and understand where big money may be positioned. But your final decision still needs to be based on your own research, risk tolerance and investment goals.

• Moomoo Community: This is a place where users share trade ideas, insights and market sentiments. If you want, you can also follow my profile. I do share updates on global news and, more importantly, how these events may affect different sectors and stocks.

The Rise of Moomoo AI

Now, everything we talked about earlier – data, charts, news, institutional tracking, those are all tools. But let’s be honest. Most platforms give you access to the market, but not every platform helps you understand the market.

This is where Moomoo AI becomes interesting. For me, Moomoo AI is useful when something suddenly happens in the market and I just want a quick first understanding.

Instead of spending time digging through multiple articles, announcements, financial statements, and community posts, you can ask Moomoo AI for a quick breakdown.

• What happened?
• Why is the market reacting this way?
• What are the key things investors are watching?

Another practical point is that Moomoo AI supports multiple languages including English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese. For Malaysian investors, that actually matters because not everyone is equally comfortable reading financial content in English.

Multiple Markets

Once you start to understand the market better, the next step is putting that knowledge into action. And this is where Moomoo’s market access becomes useful.

Through Moomoo Malaysia, investors can access multiple markets including:

• Malaysia
• United States
• Singapore
• Hong Kong
• China

And depending on your risk level, Moomoo offers products ranging from safer cash management products like money market funds, all the way to higher-risk instruments like stocks, IPOs, options and futures.

So whether you prefer to play it safe or you’re more comfortable taking higher risk, you can structure your portfolio based on what makes sense for you.

Product Expansion

Since my last review, Moomoo has expanded beyond just simple stock trading.

Moomoo now offers options trading. And for those who are new, options are more advanced instruments.

Instead of only making money when a stock goes up, options allow you to structure trades based on different scenarios. You can use call options, put options, and different strategies depending on whether you are bullish, bearish, or expecting volatility.

But options are not beginner-friendly. They involve leverage, time decay, margin, and can result in significant losses if you don’t understand what you’re doing.

However, the good thing is Moomoo does provide built-in strategy and analysis tools, which can help users understand different option setups. This is how you can explore it yourself: 

But options should only be used by investors who have already spent time learning how they work. If you are still struggling to understand normal stocks and ETFs, don’t rush into options just because the app offers it.

Moomoo also offers futures trading. Futures are different from normal investing because you are trading based on the price movement of an underlying asset. It is not for everyone. But for investors or traders who understand how it works, it gives another way to participate in market movements.

IPO Applications & Financing

Moomoo also lets users apply for IPOs directly through the app, which makes the process much easier compared to more traditional methods.

But just to set expectations, most popular IPOs are heavily oversubscribed. So even if you apply, there is always a chance that you may only get a small allocation or none at all.

One thing Moomoo has introduced is IPO financing of up to 4x. This means if you have RM1,000 capital, you may be able to apply for up to RM4,000 worth of IPO shares.

And this may improve your chances of getting some allocation, but it does not guarantee anything.

Nominee CDS Account

Now, one thing worth understanding is how shares are held. Like many digital brokers, Moomoo uses a nominee CDS account structure.

For most retail investors, a nominee CDS account is honestly more than enough. But if you are someone who cares deeply about AGM attendance, direct voting rights, or holding shares directly under your own name, then this is something you should consider.

Cash Plus & SmartSave

You may have idle cash sitting in your brokerage account while waiting for opportunities and this is where Moomoo Cash Plus comes in. Cash Plus offers around 3.5% per year, with boosted rates of up to 6% for new users depending on promotion.

So instead of jumping straight into stocks, you can park your money there to invest in short term and high quality assets from Maybank, UOB and even Eastspring to earn some returns and get comfortable with how everything works.

It’s generally very low risk, so it’s a comfortable starting point. Another thing is it also gives you instant buying power. So your funds can start working immediately, while still being available when you are ready to invest.

And once you are ready, you don’t need to have a large amount to get started. You can also just buy a small portion of a stock with fractional shares. Here’s how you can explore it yourself: 

But if you have trouble staying consistent with your investment, there’s also a Regular Savings Plan. You can start at the minimum of USD 5, set how often you would like to invest, and adjust it anytime depending on your situation. Here’s how: 

Who Should Use Moomoo?

In my opinion, Moomoo is suitable for:

• Beginner investors who want an easy way to start
• Malaysian investors who want access to US stocks and ETFs
• Investors who want Bursa Malaysia and global markets in one app
• Users who like having research tools and market data
• People who want a more modern brokerage experience
• Investors who want to park idle cash through Cash Plus
• Users who appreciate physical support through Moomoo stores

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Moomoo

1. Treating the App Like a Casino

Because Moomoo has real-time data, charts and community discussions, it can feel exciting. But investing should not feel like gambling. If you constantly buy and sell based on short-term price movements, you may end up paying more fees, making emotional decisions, and underperforming a simple long-term strategy.

2. Ignoring Exchange Rates

For Malaysian investors, MYR to USD conversion can affect your returns. Even if your stock performs well, currency movements can impact your final MYR return. This is not necessarily bad, but you need to understand it.

3. Buying Stocks Just Because They Are Trending

Moomoo gives access to popular stocks, trending lists, and market discussions. But popularity does not equal quality. Before buying any stock, ask:

• Does the company make money?
• Is revenue growing?
• Is the valuation reasonable?
• What are the risks?
• Would I still buy it if nobody was talking about it?
  

4. Not Understanding Tax Implications

For Malaysians investing in US stocks, tax matters can include dividend withholding tax and potential estate tax considerations. This does not mean you should avoid US investments entirely, but you should understand the basic implications before investing a large amount. You can check out my video here for full understanding.

Final Thought

Moomoo is still worth considering, especially if you are a Malaysian investor who wants a modern, regulated, multi-market brokerage platform with strong research tools.

So if you’re planning to start investing or looking for a brokerage that gives you access to Malaysia and global markets, Moomoo is definitely one of the platforms you can consider.

If you’re interested, check it out before the campaign ends with my exclusive code ‘ziet11’! If you prefer a video version of this article, I have made a video covering the exact same thing – do check it out here! Thanks for reading!

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

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The post Moomoo Malaysia Review 2026: Is It Still Worth Using for Malaysians? appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

If you’ve been following the news recently, you’ve probably noticed one name coming up again and again, Sunway. From expansion updates to major corporate developments, they’ve been very active.

But the biggest headline right now is this. Sunway Healthcare just went public. 

And this is not Sunway Berhad, not the REIT, and not the construction arm that you already know. This is their healthcare division, which is actually one of the largest private hospital groups in Malaysia.

So how big are we talking about?

• Estimated valuation: around RM16 billion
• Potentially Malaysia’s largest IPO since Lotte Chemical Titan in 2017
• Main Market listing in a defensive sector

Before jumping in just because of the Sunway name, let’s break down what you are actually investing in.

Background?

i) Other Sunway’s Listed Companies

To understand Sunway Healthcare Holdings properly, we need to zoom out and look at the broader Sunway group.

Sunway already has several listed companies:

• Sunway Berhad
• Sunway REIT
• Sunway Construction

All three have been managed effectively and have grown steadily where you see solid fundamentals, with earnings consistency and gradual stock price appreciation over time. So naturally, when Sunway decides to spin off its healthcare arm, the markets are highly anticipating it.

Want to study all the Sunway-listed entities in detail? Use the moomoo app. It’s SC-licensed and makes the research part way less painful.

Here’s how you can explore it yourself:

1. Quick Search:

2. Check Valuations:

3. Side-by-Side Comparison:

4. Moomoo AI:

🛈 AI-generated content does not constitute investment advice or guarantee accuracy. Use at your own risk or consult with a licensed advisor.

ii) Sunway Healthcare

Now, let’s look at Sunway Healthcare itself. Their flagship hospital in Bandar Sunway is a quaternary hospital, which is just a fancy way of saying they handle the most complex surgeries and specialized treatments at the highest level.

Over time, the group has expanded into multiple facilities, specialist centres and even senior living services.

Looking at the numbers:

• Around 60 percent of revenue comes from inpatient services
• This matters because inpatient cases involve surgeries and longer stays, which generate higher revenue
• Revenue nearly doubled from 2022 to 2024
• Gross profit margin is about 64 percent (This shows they are growing while maintaining strong profitability)

Why Healthcare is “Different”?

Source: Bernama

Healthcare behaves differently from sectors like property or construction.

When the economy slows, people may delay buying a house. But for serious medical treatment, people usually do not delay spending.

On top of that, Malaysia is expected to become an aging nation by 2048. This means demand for private healthcare is likely to increase over the long term.

However, hospitals are very capital intensive. Building facilities, buying equipment, and hiring specialists all require continuous investment. That is one of the main reasons Sunway Healthcare is raising funds through this IPO.

Medical Tourism & Robotic Surgery

Another important growth driver is medical tourism. In 2024, Malaysia recorded about 1.6 million healthcare travellers, generating roughly RM2.7 billion in revenue.

Indonesia makes up the largest portion at nearly 65%, followed by China and India.

Even for complex procedures like cardiac surgery, Malaysia can be significantly cheaper than countries like Singapore, while still maintaining high standards.

Historically, most medical tourists came for routine screenings. But now, the focus is shifting. Growth is moving toward high-complexity cases like oncology and transplants, which usually means higher revenue per patient.And this is where technology comes in. Sunway was one of the earlier hospitals in Malaysia to adopt robotic-assisted surgery. In areas like urology and oncology, that kind of capability allows them to handle more advanced cases and attract specialists who want to work with that level of equipment.

IPO Information

Now in terms of the offering itself, Sunway Healthcare is issuing a combination of 575 million new shares and offer-for-sale of 1.39 billion existing shares, bringing the total shares offered to the public to 1.97 billion.  Based on the prospectus, the IPO price has been set at RM 1.45 per share, which translates into total proceeds of approximately RM 2.86 billion.

One important detail to note is that a large portion of the IPO comes from existing shareholders selling their shares. This means not all of the proceeds are going into the company for expansion.

• 27th February: IPO officially launches (Retail applications open).
• 5th March: Applications close. 
• 18th March: Listing Day. This is when the stock debut in the Main Market and everyone can start trading it.

A typical IPO timeline (like this one) is actually quite short, so the next time you’re eyeing on any new fresh IPO, you have to move fast!

Dividend Payout Ratio

For those wondering about “pocket money,” the company has targeted a dividend payout of up to 30 percent of net profit. Compared to peers like IHH or KPJ, this is slightly lower. But that is mainly because healthcare requires ongoing investment.

So this isn’t really a typical high-yield stock. It’s more of a growth-focused healthcare stock, with some income on the side.

Where is the IPO Proceed Going?

i) Hospital Expansion & Bed Capacity

A large portion of the funds will go into expansion.

They plan to expand existing hospitals and open new ones in locations like Seremban, Iskandar Puteri, and Putrajaya.

• Current capacity: around 2,000 beds
• Target: over 3,400 beds by 2032

Scale also improves bargaining power with insurance companies, especially as the industry moves toward fixed pricing models.

Part of the funds will also go into medical technology, which is necessary to compete with larger players like IHH and KPJ.

ii) Medical Technology

Part of the proceeds will also go into advanced medical technology. In private healthcare, attracting top doctors and handling complex cases depends heavily on having the right infrastructure. And if they want to compete with players like IHH and KPJ, underinvesting in technology is simply not an option.

Peer Comparisons

Now comes the most important question. Is it worth the price?

Based on initial estimates, Sunway Healthcare is listing at around 36 times EV to EBITDA. In simple terms, this is a valuation metric investors use to judge how expensive a company is.

Compared to many local and regional healthcare companies, this is on the higher side. This means the current price already assumes the company will continue growing strongly in the future.

To be fair, there are reasons for this:

• New hospitals reached breakeven in under a year, which is much faster than the typical 3 to 5 years in this industry
• Faster breakeven usually leads to better returns on capital
• They also generate higher revenue per bed compared to peers, which suggests a stronger focus on complex, higher-value treatments

If you want to explore these companies further, you can use tools like the moomoo app to compare their financials and valuations:

1. Search for ‘Sunway Healthcare’ (once the data is live)
2. Go to ‘Company’ > ‘Company Valuation’
3. Use the ‘Compare’ tool to stack SHH against its direct rivals, IHH and KPJ

On top of that, they’re actually generating more per bed compared to peers like IHH Healthcare and KPJ Healthcare.

• Sunway: ~RM1.3m per bed
• IHH: ~RM1.2m
• KPJ: ~RM0.9m

This usually means they’re handling more complex, higher-value cases and have stronger positioning in specialised treatments.

But at the end of the day, a good company does not always mean a good investment if the price is already high.

Tutorial: Opening a Moomoo account?

If you are planning to apply for the next upcoming IPOs, you will need a platform that supports IPO subscriptions. Personally, I use moomoo since it supports digital IPO applications, which makes things much easier.

If you don’t already have an account, just go ahead and register one first. The process is pretty standard, you’ll go through identity verification and some basic onboarding, and approval usually takes a few working days. So it’s better not to leave this to the last minute.

If you want, you can also use the code “ZIET11” during sign-up to get some extra rewards like free Apple shares. Not a must, but just something extra if you’re already planning to open an account anyway. So if you’ve decided to participate, here’s how you can apply.

Step 2: Activate Your CDS-IPO Account

Once your trading account is live, there is one more “must-do” step. By default, Moomoo uses a nominee account. To apply for an IPO directly, you need to activate your CDS-IPO account.

Step to activate:

Take note the process takes 1 to 3 business days for approval. So do this as soon as possible if you don’t want to miss this IPO!

Step 3: Subscribing to Sunway Healthcare

Once your CDS-IPO account is green-lit, you’re ready for the main event.

The Process:

Why use Moomoo for this?

Moomoo gives advantages for individual investors like you and I by offering up to 4x leverage financing to boost your subscription amount. That means you can subscribe for more Sunway Healthcare IPO shares than your cash balance allows, even using existing assets as collateral.

What Happens After You Apply?

Applying doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get the shares. It goes to a ballot (usually 2-3 days after the deadline) 

• If you WIN: Moomoo deducts the funds, credits the shares to your CDS-IPO account, and automatically moves them to your Universal Account before listing day.
• If you LOSE: (The IPO is oversubscribed and you don’t get an allotment) Your funds are refunded in full.

And Moomoo is the best because it doesn’t charge any transaction fees for the refund.

What’s next? (Outcome analysis)

So let’s say you applied… what happens next?

If you get an allotment, congratulations. You are in before the stock starts trading. IPO stocks can be quite volatile on day one, so it’s important to have a plan. You can use features on moomoo such as trailing stop orders to help lock in profits while still capturing any upside.

If you didn’t get any shares, don’t worry. You can still enter on listing day. Before the market opens, you can check the Theoretical Opening Price (TOP). If the price is trending up, it usually signals strong demand. You can consider placing a buy order slightly below that level to get a better entry.

And if you feel IPOs are a bit too risky, another option is to park your funds in Moomoo Cash Plus to earn around 3.5% per year, which is currently boosted up to 6% for new users. You can also turn on SmartSave, so your idle cash is automatically deployed and redeemed when needed.

Final Thought

Overall, the Sunway Healthcare IPO is easily Malaysia’s most anticipated listing. It gives investors that rare opportunity to buy into a company offering both defensive stability and serious growth potential at the same time.

Looking at how hot the IPO market was in 2025, a debut this big in 2026 is definitely something you want on your radar to catch that upward momentum.

If you’ve done your research and want a piece of this, don’t wait around. IPO shares dry up fast. Get your Moomoo account sorted right now. And before you deposit, punch in my code “ZIET11” to unlock your free Apple shares and cash coupons. The campaign won’t last forever, so take advantage of it. If you prefer a video version of this article, I have made a video covering the exact same thing – do check it out here! Thanks for reading!

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The post Malaysia’s Biggest IPO in Years: Everything You Need to Know About Sunway Healthcare appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

If you tried to buy cooking oil in early 2025, you probably remember the empty shelves. New stock would arrive and be gone within hours. 

While you were dealing with the headache, crude palm oil prices were quietly surging close to RM4,500 per tonne. When that happens, the impact goes way beyond plantation giants like Sime Darby and eventually finds its way into your grocery bill.

And when you realise the price changes, traders have already reacted much earlier. That reaction often happens in the futures market, specifically through one contract – FCPO, short for Crude Palm Oil Futures.

But how does a digital trading contract dictate the price of the physical oil in your kitchen? In this blog, I will break down everything you need to know about FCPO.

What is CPO?

Before we talk about futures, let’s talk about crude palm oil, or CPO.

CPO is extracted from the pulp of oil palm fruit. Most people think of it as cooking oil, but palm oil actually shows up in far more places than you might expect.

It’s inside everyday food products like snacks, instant noodles, chocolate, margarine, and ice cream. But it also appears in things like lipsticks, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, candles, and even biodiesel.

In other words, palm oil is everywhere. That’s why it has become one of the most important agricultural commodities globally. And Malaysia is among the world’s top crude palm oil producers and exporters. In fact, the second-largest producer globally. 

Together with Indonesia, the two nations produce about 85% of the world’s palm oil supply. When most of the world’s supply comes from just two countries, price movements are highly sensitive. 

Why does CPO matter more than you think?

And before you think price movements have nothing to do with you, they actually do, more than you might realise. Here’s why:

• Malaysia’s economy: Palm oil is one of Malaysia’s largest exports. When CPO prices rise, export revenue increases. When prices fall, that support weakens. This can even influence how investors view the Malaysian ringgit.
• Food production costs: Palm oil is widely used in food manufacturing. When CPO prices rise, food producers face higher costs.
• Consumers: Those extra costs eventually get passed on to consumers like you and me.

In other words, movements in palm oil prices can quietly turn into food inflation.

Take 2022 as an example. CPO futures prices surged between March and April, and about a month later, Malaysia’s CPI and food inflation began to spike as well, peaking between May and July.

What’s driving CPO Price?

Like any other commodity, the price of crude palm oil (CPO) is largely shaped by supply, demand and policy.

Supply

Let’s start with supply.

Since Indonesia and Malaysia together supply around 85% of global palm oil supply, the inventory level and output of these two countries matter a lot.

Malaysia had a fairly strong production year in 2025, but output is expected to slow in 2026. One reason is a structural issue the industry has been dealing with for years: ageing plantations. A large number of oil palm trees are now more than 19 years old, and older trees simply produce less.

The obvious solution is replanting, but it’s not quick or cheap. Replanting costs roughly RM30,000 per hectare, which works out to around RM200 per tree if you assume about 150 trees per hectare. And even after replanting, farmers still have to wait 2-3 years before the new trees start producing fruit.

Because of the cost and waiting time, replanting has been happening quite slowly. Malaysia’s replanting rate was only 2.3% in 2023 and 2% in 2024, far below the ideal target of 4-5% annually. On top of that, the industry is still dealing with labour shortages, which further limits how quickly production can expand.

Over in Indonesia, growth is also expected to slow. Production is projected to increase by only 2-3% in 2026, compared with around 8% growth in 2025. At the same time, the Indonesian government has been reclaiming land used for what it considers illegal plantations, which could also affect productivity going forward.

Beyond these factors, there is also something that no one can control: the weather. Two climate patterns in particular tend to disrupt palm oil production – El Niño and La Niña.
El Niño usually begins around mid-year and peaks toward the end of the year, bringing hot and dry conditions that can reduce yields. La Niña, which typically occurs between October and December, brings heavy rainfall and flooding. Both conditions can disrupt harvesting and reduce output, tightening supply and pushing prices higher.

But accessing money market funds directly isn’t always convenient. You often have to research specific funds, track your own units, and manage everything manually. That’s where Cash Plus comes in.

Demand

Demand is where things get a little more interesting, because palm oil demand is actually very much affected by the availability and price of substitutes. It competes within a broader edible oil complex, alongside oils like soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed.

Because of this, large importing countries often switch between these oils depending on which one is cheaper.

For example, if soybean production in Brazil increases and soybean oil becomes cheaper, buyers may shift away from palm oil. But when soybean oil becomes more expensive again, palm oil quickly becomes the more attractive option. This constant switching between edible oils plays a major role in shaping global palm oil demand.

And this is not just a theoretical idea. It happens all the time in the real market.

Take India, the world’s largest palm oil importer and Malaysia’s largest palm oil buyer. India is highly price-sensitive and frequently adjusts its purchases depending on which edible oil offers the best value.

And China, the world’s second-largest importer and third-largest consumer of palm oil, behaves in a similar way. In fact, China’s demand for palm oil is expected to decline this year as buyers shift toward cheaper alternatives such as soybean and canola oil.

Policy

Next, let’s talk about something that quietly moves palm oil prices more than most people realise: the biodiesel mandate.

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel produced from animal fats, recycled grease, or vegetable oils like palm oil. Many governments require a certain percentage of biodiesel to be blended into diesel to reduce fossil fuel imports, boost domestic palm oil consumption, and lower emissions.

For example, Indonesia introduced the B20 programme in 2018, then gradually increased it to B30, and by 2026 it stands at B40, meaning diesel must contain 40% palm-based biodiesel.

At B40, Indonesia already has the highest blending rate in the world, and there have even been discussions about moving to B50. For comparison, Malaysia’s mandate is only around 10-20%.

If B50 were implemented, Indonesia would absorb more palm oil domestically, leaving less available for export. A tighter global supply usually means higher prices. However, as of January 2026, the Indonesian government announced that the B50 plan will not proceed this year, meaning inventories may remain relatively higher.

Other policies could also influence prices, including the European Union Deforestation Regulation and the US biodiesel policy for 2026-2027, expected to be announced in March.

All of this shows that supply and demand are not just about production and consumption. Policies also play a major role in determining CPO prices.

And this is where things get interesting. Markets, especially traders, don’t wait for official announcements. The moment they sense that supply might tighten, they start acting on it.

Those expectations are priced into the futures market almost immediately, often before plantation earnings are revised and before the headlines even appear.

Introducing FCPO 

If you’re hearing about futures for the first time, here’s a simple way to think about it. A futures contract is basically an agreement made today to buy or sell an asset at a fixed price on a future date. In the case of FCPO (Crude Palm Oil Futures), that asset is crude palm oil.

FCPO is traded in Malaysian ringgit (MYR) on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, and it’s one of the most actively traded contracts on the exchange. The market includes plantation companies that use it to lock in prices and hedge against volatility, as well as traders and retail investors who are simply trying to profit from price movements. And the interesting part is, all of this trading happens without anyone actually touching a single oil palm tree. Most importantly, the contract is also Shariah-compliant.

Even though Indonesia is the world’s largest palm oil producer, FCPO traded in Malaysia is widely regarded as a global benchmark for palm oil prices.

Because the contract itself is completely standardized, there is no need to negotiate the terms. Here is the basic breakdown of what you are actually trading:

• Contract Size: One FCPO contract represents exactly 25 metric tonnes of crude palm oil.
• Minimum Price Movement (Tick Size): The smallest amount the price can move is RM1.
• Tick Value: Since one contract is 25 tonnes, a RM1 move equals RM25 per contract per tick.
• Your Profit/Loss: Simply put, whenever the FCPO price moves by RM1, your profit or loss changes by RM25 for a single contract.

How you can benefit from price movement?

Let’s say it’s February, and the March FCPO contract is trading at RM4,000 per tonne.

Scenario A: You think prices will rise:

You’ve gained RM300 per tonne. Since each contract represents 25 tonnes, that works out to a RM7,500 profit.

You buy one contract at RM4,000.

Later, the price moves up to RM4,300, and you close your position.

Scenario B: You think prices will fall:

• You sell short at RM4,000.
• The price drops to RM3,700, and you buy it back to close the position.
• You’ve still gained RM300 per tonne, which again equals a RM7,500 profit.

And remember, futures are leveraged products, which means both your gains and your losses can be tremendous if the market moves against you. But this is exactly what makes the futures market so unique. You have the flexibility to trade both rising and falling prices, whether you are day trading, hedging your physical business, or just managing your overall portfolio risk.

Margin Explained

But before we go further and talk about where and how to trade futures, there’s one important concept you need to understand how margin works:

• Initial margin: When you open a futures position, you don’t pay the full contract value. Instead, you deposit an initial margin set by Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Clearing.
• Maintenance margin: After opening the position, you must keep a minimum balance in your account.
• Margin call: If the market moves against you and your balance falls below the required level, you’ll receive a margin call.
• What happens next: You must top up your funds or reduce your position. Otherwise, the broker may liquidate your position automatically.

And just to be clear, margin isn’t something unique to palm oil. It applies to all futures contracts, not just FCPO.

Where to trade futures in Malaysia?

Speaking of other futures, there are actually many types traded globally, including equity index futures, cryptocurrency futures, energy futures, metals futures, and agricultural futures like corn and soybean.

All of these can be traded through brokers that support derivatives trading. Personally, I use Webull Malaysia, which is licensed and regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia. With just one app, you can trade not only Malaysia and global futures, but also stocks from Bursa Malaysia, the US, Hong Kong, and China A-shares.

And if you don’t have a Webull account yet, this might be a good time to check it out. Webull is currently offering two rewards for new users from this channel when you sign up using my link or the exclusive code “ziet888” and you’ll get:

• RM300 worth of trading vouchers when you deposit RM5,000 and maintain it for 60 days. 

Just note that this offer is available until 30 June 2026, so if you’re interested, make sure to sign up before the deadline. Terms and conditions apply.

Tutorial: How to Trade Future?

If you’ve decided to open a Webull account, here’s how to get started:

1. Activate your futures account

2. Fund your derivatives account

Take note: Futures trading must be done through the derivatives account because of margin requirements

3. Understand intraday margin

Webull offers intraday margin at a reduced 40% requirement between 9:30 AM and 5:30 PM, but once this window ends, the margin requirement goes back to the normal level.

4. Find futures contracts

5. Review contract details Inside the contract page

6. Place your trade

7. Monitor your position

You’ll see a dashboard showing:

The app will also indicate whether your account is at a safe level, which is helpful when managing multiple positions.

Final Thought

The next time you hear about weather disruptions, biodiesel mandates, or soybean harvests, remember this: by the time prices change at the supermarket, the futures market has already moved. And for palm oil, FCPO is where those expectations often get priced first.

Once you understand how it works, it’s actually not that complicated. The futures market is simply a structured way for traders and producers to price what they believe will happen next, whether it’s supply shifts, policy changes, or substitution between different edible oils. In many cases, those expectations show up in futures prices long before the headlines do.

If you’re interested in exploring futures trading yourself, having the right platform makes a big difference. Personally, I use Webull Malaysia, which allows you to trade Malaysia and global futures, along with stocks from Bursa, the US, Hong Kong, and China A-shares, all within one app.

And if you sign up using my exclusive link or code “ziet888”, new users can enjoy a few perks:

• RM300 worth of trading vouchers when you deposit RM5,000 and maintain it for 60 days
• Zero commission on US stocks for one year, starting 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 for existing clients, and one year of commission‑free trading on US stocks for new clients from the account activation date.
• For Malaysia stocks, the commission is 0.05% with a minimum of RM2.50.

So if you’re interested, check it out before the campaign ends. If you prefer a video version of this article, I have made a video covering the exact same thing – do check it out here! Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This content is sponsored by Webull. This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Securities Commission Malaysia. T&C applies.

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The post What is FCPO? A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Palm Oil Futures appeared first on Ziet Invests.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Let’s be honest. Most of us have some extra money sitting in a normal savings account, not because it’s good, but because it’s easy.

The money is safe, you can withdraw anytime, but the return is almost nothing. Still, we leave it there because we don’t want risk, and we don’t want our cash locked up either.

So the real question is:

Is there a place to park your money where it stays accessible, but earns a bit more than a normal savings account?

That’s where things like money market funds and Cash Plus come in.

In this blog, I’ll explain:

• What a money market fund actually is
• How Cash Plus works
• Comparison of money market fund
• Things to know before subscribing to cash plus
• How to subscribe to cash plus

What is a Money market fund?

Think of a money market fund as a low-risk parking spot for your cash. Instead of letting it sit idle, these funds put your money to work in ultra-short-term loans to banks and governments. The goal is to keep your principal safe while earning a little bit every single day. It’s not a get-rich-quick play but never underestimate the power of those daily gains compounding over time.

Why is the risk of money market funds low?

Money market funds focus on stability by investing only in short-term, high-quality instruments, such as:

• Banks (short-term deposits or interbank loans)
• Government (Treasury Bills or short-term government securities)
• Cash-equivalent securities (very short-term, high-quality instruments)

Because these borrowers are highly creditworthy and use the money briefly and pay a small interest – which is how many market funds get your money.

(Low risk does not mean risk-free.)

Earning

Let’s say you put RM100 into a money market fund and the fund earns roughly 2-4% annually, that works out to just a few sen over a short period. These gains appear as small daily increases, rather than big jumps.

If the fund distributes an interest of 0.3 sen per unit today:

• Interest received: 100 units x RM0.003 = RM0.30
• Your new total: RM100.30

It may feel insignificant day to day, but over time, this is generally more efficient than leaving cash idle in a standard savings account. The best part? There’s no lock in – you can withdraw your cash whenever you need.

But accessing money market funds directly isn’t always convenient. You often have to research specific funds, track your own units, and manage everything manually. That’s where Cash Plus comes in.

What is cash plus?

Cash Plus is a cash management account that automatically places your money into low-risk money market funds, so you can earn daily interest without dealing with the complexity.

Your cash is invested in short-term, high-quality instruments such as bank deposits and government securities – the same types of assets used by professional investors.

With Moomoo Cash Plus, you can start with as little as RM0.01, making it easy to put idle cash to work without changing how you manage your money.

If you’re a new Moomoo MY user, you can currently grab a boosted 6% p.a. return on your Cash Plus balance for the first 30 days (on deposits up to RM30,000). You can choose from any of these three funds to enjoy the promo:

1. United Money Market Fund – Class R
2. Maybank Retail Money Market – I Fund
3. Eastspring Investments Islamic Income Fund – Class R

Tips: Smart Save provides the ability to auto subscribe and redeem Cash Plus. For example, when there is idle cash in your moomoo account, the funds will automatically be bought into CashPlus to earn interest. However, if the account is in arrears, the system will automatically redeem CashPlus to repay the arrears.

Comparison of the different money market fund

Things to know before subscribing to cash plus

1. Currency options

One of the best features of Moomoo Cash Plus is that you are not limited to just one currency. You can choose to park your cash in Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) or US Dollars (USD).

While the USD funds often offer higher returns, keep in mind they come with a few risks such as exchange rate swing, interest rate shifts and conversion costs.

2. Performance

Want to see the historical returns? You can check the performance of any Cash Plus fund before you subscribe. Just toggle between the monthly, quarterly, or annual historical returns to see how steady those daily gains have been over time.

3. Trading rules

Before you hit subscribe, take a quick 10-second look at the buying, redeeming, and fee rules. Knowing the ground rules now ensures a smooth, surprise-free experience later.

4. Holdings

Lastly don’t just look at the returns – look at the holdings too. Understanding exactly what the fund is investing in is the best way to see the fund potential gains and the risks involved.

Step by step how to subscribe to cash plus

Final Thought

At the end of the day, financial freedom isn’t just about the ‘big wins’, it’s about the efficiency of your cash. If you have RM1,000 just sitting there, it could be earning you RM0.10 a day. That might sound small, but never underestimate the power of compounding, every sen counts toward the bigger picture.

Stop letting your cash sit idle. With Moomoo Cash Plus, you can start putting your money to work with as little as RM0.01 without changing how you manage your portfolio.

*T&Cs apply. All views expressed in this blog are the independent opinions of Ziet, which are not shared by Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“Moomoo MY”). No content shall be considered financial advice or recommendation. Moomoo MY links are included in this post, through which referrals are made and I may receive certain commissions. Please contact Moomoo MY for more information.

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The post How to Earn Up to 6% p.a. on Your Idle Cash with Moomoo Cash Plus appeared first on Ziet Invests.