The in-house survey was conducted April 24 - May 1, 2007, via email to 4,500 TradeKing clients, with an estimated 95% confidence level. The survey results have been segmented into two distinct client groups: "options only" traders and "equities only" traders.
The survey responses revealed 88 percent of options traders and 79 percent of equity traders considered oil prices and alternative energy a "potential trade trigger" or a trend worth "monitoring actively." This was followed closely by "interest rate changes" (85 percent among options traders and 79 percent among equity traders) and "evidence of inflation" (86 percent of options traders, 72 percent of equities traders).
"Investors in the TradeKing community are very savvy about tracking near- term market opportunities on both the equities and options side of the house," said Donato Montanaro, Jr., CEO of TradeKing. "Calling to mind the all-time highs of last summer's oil prices, active traders understand how this could create an environment of added volatility as we enter key travel months."
Montanaro added, "On a somewhat surprising note, the survey also indicated that 'jitters in foreign markets' are still a concern even in light of the U.S. market's recent strength, indicating traders are not quick to forget the recent havoc caused by extreme fluctuations in overseas exchanges and they're keeping that factor high on their radar."
Seventy-three percent of options traders and 67 percent of equities traders reported "jitters in foreign markets" as a potential trade trigger or worth monitoring actively. These foreign market concerns, however, contrasted with a lack of trader interest in the "policy on the war in
Iraq." As a potential trade trigger, Iraq policy ranked last for equity traders (8%) and second-to-last for options traders (12%), which was closely ranked at the bottom with the "upcoming 2008 presidential elections" (13% for equity traders, 12% for options traders).
