Against the backdrop of the global covid-19 pandemic, 2021 has brought new challenges and opportunities to this year's trading. We responded with laughter and tears. This post compiles six stories that present a vivid picture of mooers' investing experiences. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy the stories!
Spoiler: There's a chance to get a bonus if you read till the end.
"Never forget why you started, so your mission can be completed."
Every incredible adventure started with a baby step. When we look back to the very beginning of our trading journey, we ask ourselves why we got started in the first place? Realistically speaking, money is what we all are after, but what made us brave enough to take the first step? Here is one of the most satisfying answers.
"She Has Inspired Me" said by @HuatLady. His trading journey started with his 21 birthday gift – a $100 saving bank account book from his parents.
"I was touched because that was her virtuous desire for me to be independent, and to make effective decisions, not only for the trading field but throughout my life for a better Future."
Making profits is not the ultimate goal of investing. What you can learn in the process will get you further in life.
"The only way to overcome bad luck is working hard."
Novices deserve a bit of "beginner's luck." "Did I have beginner's luck when I first started trading?" @cowabangawas quite confident at first because of the money he made in the market. After that, there're setbacks, and there's luck again.
"As I trade along, the results are certainly compelling! I dare say I have one of the finest beginner's luck out there for my first few wins at the market provided trading returns in folds. It was truly an amazing experience given the confidence it spurs in you. But like what the market veterans would say 'the market giveth, the market taketh'..."
The truth is that luck is the combination of skills and opportunities. Many things that look like luck at first blush are part of a cycle. 
After investing for some time, many mooers might feel anxious and regretful. Some of us can't stop thinking about what we should've done when we were younger and what could've been achieved if we'd chosen differently. @aoimizushared his advice with the younger ones at "I hate finance ... but I'm here"
"I support young people who want to begin their investment journey early. As mentioned in a previous post (Gen Z and debt), I'd put aside my part-time job earnings as the capital for investments. I'd be more proactive in scanning the news and be updated on the overall environment. I'd become more curious about the companies that make the products I use, and study them more closely."
@小虎发大财wrote something about his words to himself if he can travel back in time at his post "I started my investment journey in 2017."
"I entered the market without any knowledge and purely by rumors, ended up suffering a loss.From there onwards, i started reading and watching video on youtube to educate myself, even till now hungry for knowledge. If I can return back time, i will tell myself to start off investment way earlier."
Regrets are common in trade because they occur both when you make a move or do absolutely nothing. How to deal with "regrets" when you want to start with "if only"? @Powerhouseresponded with "Really? Then you are not playing big enough!!"
"Investment is like this. You lost some here; you better wake up your idea to earn more somewhere else...Play within your means. That is how I consoled myself. Lose, never mind, just don't lose your mind and spirit. Miss the boat, try the other boat beside it!"
"The minute you appreciate what you have, joyfulness overcomes suffering."
2021 may not be the best in your life, but it couldn't be worse than 2020. Could it? We survived 2020, so when we start to appreciate what we have, 2021 could be a year full of joyfulness.
Do you agree with @Syueeat her post "Birds of a Feather, Flock Together!"?
"I believe in following the practice of gratitude, giving and sharing with the less fortunate. Not everyone is as lucky to have a roof over their heads, clothes to cover their bodies and food to fill their stomachs...Happiness keeps you sweet. Trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you human. Failure keeps you humble. Success keeps you glowing. FAMILY keeps you GOING."
Moo community is committed to accompanying you throughout your trading journey and offering as much support as we can.
2021 might be the start of the trading journey for many mooers. We've seen many mooers saying that moomoo is what gets them started in trading. That is AWESOME!
@aoimizusaid in one of his posts, "There is a sense of camaraderie in the moomoo community, making me feel that this is not a lonely journey and I can always ask for help". This is exactly what moomoo wants to bring to all of you! We will always be there for you. Wish you all a very happy 2022 ahead!
Bonus
What's the most inspiring investing story you've heard this year? Comment under this post and tell us the story now! We will select the 1st, 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th...(multiples of 10) comments to give away 88 points each!
Duration: Now- Dec 28, 2021 11:59 PM SGT
moomoo annual ceremony is happening right now! Check it out here:  2021 in Review: Grow Together to the Moon!

In 2021, moomoo became the place where investors could share their opinions and communicate freely with each other. The frequent interactions between the enthusiastic mooers have positively impacted the community. Mooers are moving in the same direction: making profits and improving themselves. It would take a long time and great effort for our dear mooers to achieve these goals. Why don't we take a look at ten of the year's valuable market insights and investing tips?
Spoiler: There's a chance to get points if you read till the end.
*The selected articles are listed randomly.
ONE: Is investing in Trump's new merger a good idea?
@HuatLadywrote about his concerns on the merger of Trump's company and a SPAC called the Digital World Acquisition Corp. We have to admit that he has a point!
"Forgive me for predicting that most likely his company's stock will not be viable for long term investment goal."
View more: Will Donald be able to deal his Trump Card?
TWO: What do you think of meme stocks?
@Machiavellis3rdEyeused vivid language to call for rational investing and remind mooers to watch out for media manipulations. Do you agree with him?
"You ARE ALL MY ALLIES, regardless of your investment choices, politics, religions, colors, sex, or anything else! I say we start learning and adapting to their constantly evolving illegal games (media manipulation, PFOF, CB's) together. Then we will all figure out how to take that cheese - without getting TRAPPED."
View more: When will we get off this bus to CRAZYTOWN?
THREE: What can we learn from the big picture?
@WYCKOFFPROanalyzed the trend of the Russell 2020 with technical tools. Has the market proved his assumptions?
"The breakout of the Russell 2000 gives the first confirmation of the scenario of possible rotation from big cap stocks to small cap stocks."
View more: A Bargain you can't Ignore — This Laggard Breaks All Time High Last Week
FOUR: Will the strong momentum of recovery stocks fade?
On Nov 5, Pfizer introduced a new COVID-19 antiviral pill that is expected to treat 89% of acutely hospitalized patients and thus reduce the risk of death. @HuatEveranticipated that Pfizer's share price would continue to climb once the FDA approved the new antiviral pill. What do you think?
"They hold the promise of cutting down the risk of severe Covid 19 ailments, hospitalisation stays and even deaths, and if being taken at the early onsets of infection. "
View more: A Breakthrough in Covid 19 Antiviral Pills
FIVE: EV stocks skyrocketing: Good buy or goodbye?
@Deviltonconducted an in-depth analysis on one of the most popular stocks, $Rivian, and pointed out that patience is a virtue in trading.
"Human are always impatient, we will always have FOMO if we sit and wait till Friday, scared that it stops falling and starts to rise again. Yet buying all tomo may not allow you to buy at the best price." View more here.
SIX: How do you decide when to buy/sell?
@HopeAlwayssaid that there is no best way to determine when to buy and when to sell the stocks of indexes. The timings depend on investing goals, philosophies, and personal preferences.
"The three main risks are company, valuation and earnings risks. Once we are able to find a stock that that signals low risk based on these three conditions, it is time to buy. Whenever a negative change happens to any of the three conditions,  it is time to sell."
View more: Buying and Selling Stocks
SEVEN: How do you know when to stop loss / take profit?
@Powerhousehas three underlying principles in stopping losses and taking profits. All investors should stay informed and closely observe trends to set price targets.
"For micro, there is a need to determine your present financial risk appetite figuratively. On the macro level, situations may have changed. Determining when is the most precise time to stop loss or take profit of a stock and milk the most out of it is extremely difficult."
View more: Stop the pain, take the happiness
EIGHT: What urges you to press the "trade" button?
@Panda2102has done macro research to sort out a list of companies and ranks them from different dimensions.
"The mission statement, the moat, the network effect, the switching cost, low cost advantage, optionality, the ratio for PE, PEG, Cash, Debt, Free Cash flow and the ownership of the company."
View more: Best time to press the trade button
NINE: How to build a portfolio with a windfall of $1 million?
@Mars Mooothinks that the Squid Game Multi-Portfolio comprises four parts: player 456, player 218, player 067, and a liquid one.
"The first portfolio is aimed at potential sectors for diversification and profits. The second is designed to high risk lead high returns. The next one intent on helping on thr way. While the last one shows that cash is king."
View more: The Squid Game Multi-Portfolios Portfolio
TEN: How to profit from short-selling?
@Mcsnacks H Tupackshared that short-selling is highly popular on Wall Street and often carried out by aggressive hedge funds.
"Hedge funds acting through collaborating market makers can create huge numbers of counterfeit shares that can overwhelm buying demand. They have turned it into a casino and everyone knows the house always wins in that scenario."
View more: The only way for short selling to be profitable is by cheating
This recap takes a deep dive into the market insights and investing tips that inspire us to become better investors. Did you find anything interesting or helpful?
Bonus
Please Leave your comments below and @ the mooer whose opinions impress you the most, and explain why they are attractive. The 1st, 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th...(multiples of 10) mooers will be rewarded with 88 points each!
Duration: Now- Dec 28, 2021 11:59 PM SGT
moomoo annual ceremony is happening right now! Check it out here:  2021 in Review: Grow Together to the Moon!

$Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares ETF (SOXL.US)$ We still have to break a higher level and pull back

Cathie Wood says the Ark Invest is "going through soul-searching"as its growth-focused funds fall out of favor amid expectations of tighter Federal Reserve policy.
- $ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK.US)$has dropped more than 20% in 2021.
- And in the same period, $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$climbed more than 20%.
Wood says her funds are sticking to their plans even after the rough stretch, and that their models forecast big returns in the next half decade.
Source: bloomberg
Read more: Cathie Wood: My stocks aren't in a bubble, but yours may be

Last time I selected 10 high-dividend large-cap stocks in S&P 500.
And this time I choose stocks in the $Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US)$ with market cap higher than 100bn.

$MARA Holdings (MARA.US)$ is likely to have a big 2022. To put things into perspective, Marathon reported mining capacity of 2.7EH/s as of Q3 2021. By mid-2022, the company expects mining capacity to increase to 13.3EH/s.
The company expects that this will translate into revenue of $92.4 million per month. This would imply an annualized revenue potential in excess of $1 billion. Clearly, the best part of growth is still to come for Marathon Digital.
Another point to note is that the company is exclusively into Bitcoin mining. However, as capacity ramps-up, Marathon will have robust financial flexibility. This will provide scope for organic and acquisition driven growth. It’s very likely that Marathon will be more diversified in the coming years.
In the near-term, Bitcoin is likely to bounce-back after a sharp correction. Inflation remains a concern and Bitcoin is considered as one of the inflation hedges. With limited supply and wider adoption, rising Bitcoin price will benefit Marathon Digital.

It can be challenging to know how best to invest in Chinese stocks right now with the recent biggest jump and the higher risks associated with the market. While Chinese stocks may offer huge growth opportunities in a massive market, it is more suited for investors with a generous appetite for risk. Even then, greater caution needs to be exercised when picking Chinese stocks as they tend to be highly volatile with greater regulatory challenges. One good way is perhaps to invest only in high quality Chinese companies $Alibaba (BABA.US)$, $JD.com (JD.US)$,  $PDD Holdings (PDD.US)$, $Tencent (TCEHY.US)$ that are both big and visible with the most solid standing. Still, it might be challenging for many to invest calmly in Chinese stocks as China's business market is comparatively opaque and more prone to regulatory pressures. Furthermore, it may not be easy to digest the news coming out of China these days. For those investors who are concerned that Chinese stocks are too vulnerable to ever-present risks and uncertainties, investing in the larger ones with economic moats to succeed in the longer term would be a safer choice.
$Baidu (BIDU.US)$
$Bilibili (BILI.US)$
$BYD Co. (BYDDF.US)$
$DiDi Global (Delisted) (DIDI.US)$
$Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU.US)$
$Li Auto (LI.US)$
$NetEase (NTES.US)$
$NIO Inc (NIO.US)$
$Weibo (WB.US)$
$XPeng (XPEV.US)$

Asia stocks to open steady; Treasury yields climb
Asian stocks are poised to open steady Thursday after U.S. equities extended a rally as investors weigh the impact of the new virus variant on the economy. Treasuries declined.
Futures were little changed in Japan and rose in Hong Kong. Australia and U.S. contracts were stable in early Asia trading. The $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ and the technology-heavy $NASDAQ 100 Index (.NDX.US)$ advanced for a third day. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index of companies with most of their businesses in China also gained for a third day.
Apple wins delay in monopoly case, allowing app store rules to stay for now
The stay means that the App Store will effectively remain under the status quo prohibiting external links before a change was ordered by Yvonne Gonzales Rogers, a federal judge in Oakland, earlier this year.
Wednesday's stay temporarily protects $Apple (AAPL.US)$'s control over its App Store and the fees it generates, which can range up to 30% of digital transactions.
Apple's car project loses three more key engineers to startups
Eric Rogers, billed as Apple's chief engineer for radar systems on the project, left for flying-taxi startup Joby Aviation Inc. in recent weeks. Alex Clarabut, an engineering manager for the team's battery systems group, joined , another company working to develop air taxis. Stephen Spiteri, an Apple hardware engineering manager, left to join Archer as well.
GameStop shares fall as video game retailer reports widening losses in third quarter
$GameStop (GME.US)$'s shares fell 4% after the company reported that losses widened in the fiscal third quarter. The video game retailer's net loss grew to $105.4 million, or $1.39 per share, from a loss of $18.8 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier. Total revenue grew to $1.30 billion from $1.00 billion a year earlier.
Inventories grew in the latest quarter as GameStop looked to get ahead of supply chain challenges and be well-stocked for the holidays.
Powell's fourth major shift raises questions about the Fed's policy credibility
The Fed is expected to say next week it will double the pace of its bond purchase taper, while also likely hinting at more aggressive rate hikes in 2022. If it meets those expectations, it will mark at least the fourth significant policy change under Chairman Jerome Powell's leadership.
With policy so unpredictable and forecasts proving often unreliable, the Fed could be facing a substantial credibility challenge.
There are 11 million open jobs as the quitting spree continues: 'It's still a very tight labor market'
There were 11 million job openings while hiring remained steady and quitting cooled slightly in October, according to the Labor Department's latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report.
Despite the small drop in quits, turnover remains historically high as 4.2 million people quit their job in October, down from a record-high 4.4 million people, or 3% of workers, who quit in September.
BofA says S&P 500 real earnings yield is lowest since Harry Truman was president
The S&P 500 Index currently has a real earnings yield of -2.9%, meaning that without continued growth in company results, investors would lose 2.9% when adjusted for inflation, the strategists led by Savita Subramanian wrote in a note on Wednesday. "Last time the real earnings yield was this negative was 1947."
Bill Ford acquires 2 million shares of automaker with stock near 20-year high
$Ford Motor (F.US)$ Chair Bill Ford , the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, acquired almost 2 million shares of his company for about $20.5 million through the exercise of stock options.
"The decision to exercise these options to purchase almost 2 million shares of common stock reflects Bill's confidence in the future of the company and our plan to create tremendous value for all of our stakeholders," Ford Motor said in an emailed statement.
Source: Bloomberg, WSJ, CNBC