《Toyo Keizai ONLINE column is published》Last year was the most challenging year.

Good morning, this is Matsushita.

Analysis and introduction of the results of the individual investor performance survey conducted last month.

We are proceeding with the analysis of the results of the survey.

Looking at the performance for the entire year of 2016,

65% of investors overall incurred losses.

By category, 53% of stock investors incurred losses,

73% of FX investors incurred losses, and 75% of commodity investors incurred losses.

In the stock market, more than half of investors suffered losses,

and in the FX and commodity markets, more than 70% of investors suffered losses.

Moreover, when looking at the performance trend over the past three years,

in every market, 2016 had the worst results.

In other words, 2016 was a very challenging and harsh period for all markets—

the stock, FX, and commodity markets.

This is something I have written about several times before.

Investing aims for daily, monthly, and yearly profits,

but achieving that is extremely difficult,

and it is about ultimately earning profits over a certain period.

Even if last year was a year of losses,

if you have shown profits over the past three years, or

if your performance since you started investing has been profitable, that is not a problem.

Also, by repeating the same investments,

your money will grow.

However, if last year and the year before were losses,

and you have never won since you started investing, with losses expanding,

then that situation must be broken.

At the very least, over the years, you need

your losses to decline and move closer to profits,

showing growth and progress.

Evaluating investment performance at set time intervals is, of course, important,

but at the same time, consider whether you are growing and progressing.

This is not mere self-satisfaction;

let's ensure the numbers and results reflect real improvement.

And this year, let us surely achieve profits.

In a few years, transform your overall profit since you started investing into profits.

Spend your days working toward that.

Then the future will be bright.