👀 Retail investors' 2024 plans

China and the US have been making moves | The latest inflation data wasn't the twist investors hoped for | [Finimize](   TOGETHER WITH   Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 12th in 3:13 minutes.   🍵 Finimized over a matcha pistachio latte at [Comoba]( in Lisbon, Portugal (🌤 13°C/56°F) Today's big stories - China said it’ll get easier for foreign businesses to invest in the country - This year could be record-shattering for retail investors – [Read Now]( - December’s inflation reading didn’t give investors much to write home about Options, Opened [Options, Opened] What’s going on here? China softened its stance on relationships, announcing plans to make it easier for foreign businesses to [invest]( in the country. What does this mean? If there was a Tinder for global economic superpowers, presumably stuffed full of stacked egos and mind games, China and the US would hardly be sending each other super-likes. While the pair could form the most iconic power-couple the world has ever seen (maybe with the sole exception of Posh and Becks), their relationship has been spattered with dealbreakers like trade limits and stances on national defense. But maybe they’re starting to focus on what they do have in common, instead. After the US and Chinese presidents met in November, the Chinese government seems to be following through on promises to make the country more accessible for foreign businesses. That could be the start of something beautiful: a buoy for international companies with a foot in China, and some more cash flowing around the country’s currently loveless economy. Why should I care? For markets: Expensive taste. China’s shoppers usually love a bit of luxury, with the country making up a major market for established European and US companies like Estée Lauder and LVMH. But now that everyday workers need to watch their coins a little closer, those companies have seen the repercussions in their sales and share prices. So if China’s initiatives manage to make shoppers’ cash stretch further, companies will be toasting glasses all over the globe. The bigger picture: This could be a year of exploration. The US tech sector pulled in more than its fair share of investors’ cash last year. So with stateside stock markets still wrangling rallies, fewer investors braved the uncertainty of emerging markets. That does mean, though, that their stocks are now a lot cheaper than their US counterparts. And if China, the biggest emerging market of them all, can recover this year, investors might take the chance to explore the world for less. You might also like: [This Chinese stock indicator’s flashing green](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Options, Opened&utm_campaign=daily-global-12-01-2024&utm_source=email) Analyst Take Optimistic, Cash-Heavy Retail Investors Have Big Plans For 2024 [Optimistic, Cash-Heavy Retail Investors Have Big Plans For 2024]( [Photo of Carl Hazeley] Carl Hazeley, Analyst If you’ve ever wanted to [sneak a peek]( at what other retail investors are doing, here’s your chance. We talked to our [modern investing community]( to find out how thousands of you are planning to invest in the first quarter, and what you’re predicting for the year ahead. Our exclusive data reveals that you’re sitting on [a lot more cash]( right now – and you’re [more optimistic]( than ever. That means could be [a record year]( for retail investor participation. So that’s today’s Insight: [our latest survey and why this year could be one for the record books](. [Read or listen to the Insight here]( SPONSORED BY PERCENT You only need $500 to diversify with private credit You could make some nice returns with stocks and bonds alone. But for the potential of better performance and recurring income, you could look into [private markets]( - like many institutional investors do. After all, more than 90% of firms are privately held, including [Lego, IKEA, and Publix](. They reach out to private credit for funding, and in turn, institutional investors make money charging over-benchmark rates. And thanks to Percent, you too can [invest in this asset class for as little as $500](. You can get [regular passive income]( throughout the life of the deal, short or long-term deals depending on your goals, country and asset [diversification](, and APY as high as 20%. Plus, you can [lock in up to $500 as a bonus on your first investment with Percent](. There’s no better time to explore the world of private credit. [Find Out More]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. Same League [Same League] What’s going on here? The first [inflation]( reading of the year didn’t do much to reset the scoreboard. What does this mean? Investors have been tuning into monthly inflation updates as if they were the first episode of a talked-about reality show since a breath-catching cliffhanger. But this one wasn’t quite as satisfying: prices increased by more than expected in December and were higher than in November, reversing the slow retreat of previous months. It’s not a cause for central banks’ concern just yet, though. While higher than forecasted, that figure isn’t alarming. And if you strip out volatile energy and food costs, the remaining “core inflation” was still on the descent. Why should I care? Zooming out: Inflation’s a game of chicken. Inflation is, in part, a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once shoppers realize their grocery shop is running more expensive by the month, they’ll start stocking up to avoid paying more in the future. Problem is, those bulky sales give stores the confidence they need to raise their prices higher. But that shopping tactic mainly makes sense when inflation’s at, say, last year’s 10% peak – save for the pain of storing long-life milk and tinned fish. But when central banks bring inflation closer to their 2% target, even budget-conscious shoppers will be more likely to make peace with paying a few more pennies on that loaf of bread. For markets: It might not take two, after all. Central banks might herald 2% as the magic number, but economists seem to be warming to the 5%-mark – roughly where we are today. At this level, interest rates are high enough to make folk and businesses more careful when borrowing money and making business decisions, but not high enough to squash consumer spending or business activity. Plus, keeping rates around 5% gives central banks room to trim them down, a handy tool in an economic downturn. You might also like: [Rate cuts seem like great news, this chart suggests otherwise](. Copy to share story: [( 🙋 [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question: Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Same League&utm_campaign=daily-global-12-01-2024&utm_source=email) 💍 Let's get engaged Your business needs engagement: customers that use, love, and tell others about what you do. The right content can get you exactly that – and luckily enough, we can help you [make the right content](. We craft some of the industry’s most engaging financial content – trusted by over a million individual investors and 300-plus institutions – every single day. 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Maybe pause your bunker-building plans. A [robotics expert]( isn’t buying the AI hype. 2. As good as (white) gold. The global energy revolution needs lithium – and [this company]( could plug the gap.* 3. Vive la révolution. A [Parisian café]( is home to the world’s exiles. 4. DeFi yield farming can be extremely lucrative. Just [check out these common strategies and pitfalls]( before you pick up your plough.* 5. Snails (probably) don’t get wrinkles. The fountain of youth might be [a bucket of snail mucus](. When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI [HEALTHWORDS.AI]( When you support our sponsors, you support us. Thanks for that. 🌍 Finimize Live 🤩 Coming Up Soon... All events in UK time. 💸 [Your 2024 Crypto Investing Roadmap](: 5pm, January 16th ❤️ Share with a friend Thanks for reading {NAME}. If you liked today's brief, we'd love for you to share it with a friend. You stay classy, {NAME} 😉 We’d love to hear your thoughts. 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