TD Ameritrade's Investor Movement Index: February Numbers Spike as a Result of Increased Equity Expo

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Updated

TD Ameritrade's Investor Movement Index: February Numbers Spike as a Result of Increased Equity Exposure and Low Market Volatility

IMX posts highest month-over-month increase as investor bullishness continues

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- TD Ameritrade, Inc. ("TD Ameritrade"), a broker-dealer subsidiary of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (NYS: AMTD) , is today revealing the Investor Movement IndexSM score for February 2013. The Investor Movement Index, or the IMXSM, is a proprietary, behavior-based index created by TD Ameritrade that aggregates Main Street investor positions and activity to measure what investors are actually doing and how they are actually positioned in the markets.


The February 2013 Investor Movement Index for the four weeks ending Feb. 22, 2013, reveals:

  • Score: 5.14 (compared to 4.71 in January)

  • Trend Direction: Positive

  • Trend Length: 1 Month

  • Score relative to historic ranges: High

February's IMX score is the highest seen since June 2011 and part of an increasingly bullish trend spanning much of the last seven months. In February, retail investors at TD Ameritrade continued to show signs of bullishness. Net buyers in the markets, investors were rotating their equity exposure, selling securities at highs and buying into lows. Portfolio positioning also played a role in the higher monthly score. Volatility across the broad market, as measured by indicators like the VIX, was quite low in February. TD Ameritrade clients held or increased their exposure to securities with higher relative volatility compared to that of the general market. This was a key factor in the higher IMX score seen in February.

"This score is a contrast to January's IMX number, which dipped slightly from December after several months of gains," said Steve Quirk, senior vice president of TD Ameritrade's Trader Group. "Given the circumstances around that time frame, such as uncertainty regarding the fiscal cliff and annual portfolio adjustments typically made at that time of year, it likely reflected unique conditions at year end. Now that those events are behind us, we are seeing results more aligned with national consumer sentiment indices."

The IMX value is calculated based on a complex proprietary formula. Each month, TD Ameritrade pulls a sample from its client base of 6 million funded accounts that includes all accounts that completed a trade in the past two months. The holdings and positions of this statistically significant sample are evaluated to calculate individual scores, and the median of those scores represents the monthly IMX.

For more information on the Investor Movement Index, including historical IMX data going back to December 2010, to view the full report from February 2013, or to sign up for future IMX news alerts, please visit www.tdameritrade.com/IMX. Additionally, TD Ameritrade clients can chart the IMX using the symbol $IMX in either the thinkorswim® or TD Ameritrade Mobile Trader platforms.

Past performance of a security, strategy or index is no guarantee of future results or investment success.

Historical data should not be used alone when making investment decisions. Please consult other sources of information and consider your individual financial position and goals before making an independent investment decision.The IMX is not a tradable index.The IMX should not be used as an indicator or predictor of future client trading volume or financial performance for TD Ameritrade.

For the latest TD Ameritrade news and information, follow the Company on Twitter, @TDAmeritradePR.

AMTD-G

About TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
Millions of investors and independent registered investment advisors (RIAs) have turned to TD Ameritrade's (NYS: AMTD) technology, people and education to help make investing and trading easier to understand and do. Online or over the phone. In a branch or with an independent RIA. First-timer or sophisticated trader. Our clients want to take control, and we help them decide how - bringing Wall Street to Main Street for more than 36 years. TD Ameritrade has time and again been recognized as a leader in investment services. Please visit TD Ameritrade's newsroom or www.amtd.com for more information.

Brokerage services provided by TD Ameritrade, Inc., member FINRA (www.FINRA.org)/SIPC (www.SIPC.org)/NFA (www.nfa.futures.org)



TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation
For Media:
Kim Hillyer, 402-574-6523
Director, Communications & Public Affairs
kim.hillyer@tdameritrade.com
@TDAmeritradePR
or
For Investors:
Jeff Goeser, 402-597-8464
Director, Investor Relations & Finance
jeffrey.goeser@tdameritrade.com

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