TD Ameritrade’s Investor Movement Index: March Numbers Rise as Low Market Volatility Continues

Investors remain bullish as IMX trends upward for seven of the past nine months

OMAHA, Neb.--()--TD Ameritrade, Inc. (“TD Ameritrade”), a broker-dealer subsidiary of TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (NYSE:AMTD), is today revealing the Investor Movement IndexSM score for March 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 positioned in the markets.

The March 2013 Investor Movement Index for the five weeks ending March 28, 2013, reveals:

  • Score: 5.37 (compared to 5.14 in February)
  • Trend direction: Positive
  • Trend length: 2 months
  • Score relative to historic ranges: High

Following a spike in February, the IMX numbers for March are currently the highest the Company has on record since June 2011, adding to an ongoing bullish trend among the Company’s retail investor base spanning seven of the past nine months. TD Ameritrade’s retail clients continued to rotate their positions throughout the month, selling securities at highs and buying into lows. March also saw an increased number of clients seeking out stocks with higher dividend yields and holding positions with higher relative volatility compared to that of the general market.

“March’s IMX score indicates that our retail clients remain diligent in increasing their exposure carefully,” said Steve Quirk, senior vice president of TD Ameritrade's Trader Group. “In this period of low volatility and a rising market, clients are leaning toward selection of yields and individual equities.”

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 March 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 (NYSE: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 37 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)

Contacts

TD Ameritrade, Inc.
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

Contacts

TD Ameritrade, Inc.
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