Shares2U aims to boost retail investor participation

The Star

22-05-2025

Representatives from Moomoo Securities Sdn Bhd ; Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd; Maybank Investment Bank Bhd; Dato' Fad'l Mohamed; Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd; Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd; CGS International Securities Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: With the intent of strengthening participation in the retail segment of Malaysia's capital market, Bursa Malaysia has launched an initiative called Shares2U.
A securities transfer scheme, Shares2U will enable participating organisations to reward retail investors with eligible Bursa Malaysia listed shares as part of marketing campaigns.
Bursa Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Fad'l Mohamed said because retail investors were integral to the vibrancy and resilience of Malaysia's capital market, the stock exchange wanted to support them by offering accessible investment avenues and delivering comprehensive educational resources.
The initiative was developed in response to the ever-evolving landscape of capital markets due to technological innovation and the shifts that it brought about.
He said today's investors are younger and from digitally-native generations, thus they need more than just access, but rather value, personalisation and engaging experiences.
According to Fad'l, the premise of Shares2U was designed to be simple.
The seven participating organisation's currently are AmInvestment Bank Bhd, CGS International Securities Malaysia, Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd, Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd , Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and Moomoo Securities Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
These organisation's will leverage Shares2U in their upcoming marketing campaigns.
'The organisations can offer eligible Bursa Malaysia-listed securities as a form of reward for investor actions, for instance when they open a central depository system account, deposit funds or execute a trade,' he said during the initiative's launch yesterday.
He added the impact would be broad for new, inactive or active investors, for the participating organisation's and the capital market as a whole.
'For new investors, Shares2U offers behavioural incentives to take their first step into investing, while for inactive users, this is a timely prompt to re-engage with the market. Then for the active users, Shares2U enables participating organisations to recognise their commitment and loyalty, ensuring that their investing experience is more rewarding and fulfilling,' he said.
At the launch, Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd chief operating officer Dennis Jee Chin Che said that it was important to promote the local market while teaching financial literacy.
Jee commended Bursa Malaysia for taking the initiative because it not only gives brokers the opportunities to collaborate, but also to encourage new investors to enter the market while teaching them on how to trade stocks.
'Even with all the uncertainty in the global markets due to the US-China trade tensions, and the situation in the United States, the local market is still vibrant. We're still tracking closely with what's happening globally,' he noted.
From a broker's perspective, Jee said promoting education was equally important because of the changing landscape.
'If you look at our campaigns, one task that investors are required to complete is a course where basics are taught to newcomers. When done, we give them three stocks to trade, and using their knowledge and training, they can choose which stock has the best quality to invest in,' he explained.
Jee said Malacca Securities would be launching its Shares2U activities in June, and he expects good feedback.
'We are hopeful that this initiative will help Bursa Malaysia to promote the local market and we hope to get the market excited again.'