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As a vital component of the global investment portfolio, commodities are classified alongside stocks, bonds, and foreign exchange as core asset classes. Due to their close connection with macroeconomics and daily consumption, commodity price fluctuations often serve as a sensitive indicator of economic cycle changes. This article systematically reviews the investment mechanisms of commodities to help investors find the most suitable trading instruments for themselves.
Core Definitions and Characteristics of Commodities
Commodities refer to goods that enter circulation but are not traded at the retail level, possessing industrial application attributes primarily used for industrial production and end consumption. Unlike daily consumer goods, their notable feature is "large volume"—with substantial supply scales, enormous market demand, frequent circulation, and abundant inventories—placing them typically at the upstream of the industrial chain.
According to trading characteristics, commodities are mainly divided into six categories: energy products, industrial metals, precious metals, agricultural

Why do we need to understand inflation?
In the past two years, rising prices have become a key theme in the global economy. Taiwan's central bank has raised interest rates five times, the Federal Reserve has increased rates seven times within a year, and governments around the world are fighting inflation. But few people truly understand: What is inflation? Where does it come from? And how can one profit from it?
Instead of passively accepting the decline in purchasing power caused by inflation, it’s better to actively understand its mechanisms and find ways to respond. This article will help you clarify the essence of inflation, the central bank’s response measures, and most importantly—how to build a resilient investment portfolio during inflationary times.
The essence of inflation: the imbalance between money and goods
Inflation, simply put, is a phenomenon where prices continuously rise over a period of time, leading to a decrease in the purchasing power of money. In simple terms, the money in your pocket becomes less and less valuable.
Economists measure the degree of inflation using the CPI (Consumer Price Index). When the CPI continues to rise,

Important Notice: The United States officially switches to Standard Time at 2:00 AM on November 2, 2025. The regular trading hours are adjusted to 22:30 to 5:00 Taiwan time the next day.
I. Detailed Rules for U.S. Stock Market Opening and Closing
The U.S. stock market consists of several independently operated securities exchanges, with the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and the American Stock Exchange being the three major markets. Although each exchange operates independently, their opening and closing times are generally synchronized.
Complete Schedule for U.S. Stock Market Opening Hours
In Eastern Time, the opening and closing periods for U.S. stocks are as follows:
| Trading Type | Monday to Friday | U.S. Eastern Time |
|--------------|------------------|-------------------|
| Pre-market Trading | 4:00 - 9:30 | Early setup |
| Regular Trading (Main U.S. Market Hours) | 9

Market participants' expectations of price movements often determine the short-term volatility direction of stocks. The Bias (BIAS) indicator is a tool that quantifies these expectations—it clearly reflects the deviation of the stock price from the trend line, helping investors capture overbought and oversold turning points.
The essence of Bias: the distance between price and trend
What is Bias? In simple terms, it expresses the deviation of the stock price from the moving average line in percentage form. When the stock price is significantly above or below the moving average line, the market usually faces adjustment pressure.
Bias is divided into two categories based on the direction:
- Positive Bias: The stock price is above the moving average line, indicating a premium in an upward trend
- Negative Bias: The stock price is below the moving average line, indicating a discount in a downward trend
The core logic of Bias is similar to the supply and demand relationship in agricultural markets—when rice prices soar to a record high, farmers are eager to sell (worried about being trapped at high levels),

Mastering currency symbols is crucial for foreign exchange trading. They provide a quick identification system for different national currencies, preventing misjudgments in pricing. This article introduces the main global currency symbols and their quick input methods, while also warning traders about potential confusions, such as the $ symbol for US dollars and New Taiwan dollars, or the ￥ symbol for Chinese Renminbi and Japanese Yen, helping to improve trading efficiency.

As of December 10, 2025, the TWD to JPY exchange rate has reached 4.85. This rate has attracted many to revisit travel to Japan and asset allocation in yen. But did you know? Using the same JPY exchange, choosing the wrong channel could cost you over 1,500 NT dollars more. We tested the four most common exchange methods in Taiwan, revealing differences in costs, operation time, and fees, helping you find the most suitable solution.
Why is it worth exchanging for yen? Beyond travel, there is also investment value.
When it comes to currency exchange, many people instinctively think of the Japanese yen, but the reasons go far beyond that.
Daily life needs: travel, purchasing, studying abroad
If you plan to travel to Japan, you'll find that many places still primarily use cash (credit card penetration rate about 60%). From shopping in Tokyo to skiing in Hokkaido and vacations in Okinawa, yen cash is needed. Additionally, Japan purchasing agents and online shopping often require direct yen payments. For working holidaymakers or students studying abroad,

In December 2025, the Taiwanese dollar against the Japanese yen reached 4.85, appreciating nearly 9% since the beginning of the year. But don’t just think about traveling abroad; the yen has long shifted from a travel "allowance" to a safe-haven asset. This article will guide you to the most cost-effective currency exchange routes and teach you how to make your money work for you after exchanging.
Why exchange yen now? Three reasons to tell you
Reason 1: Stable safe-haven currency status
The yen, along with the US dollar and Swiss franc, ranks as one of the world's three major safe-haven currencies. During the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the yen appreciated by 8% in one week, effectively buffering stock market declines. For Taiwanese investors, exchanging for yen is like buying insurance for the Taiwan stock market.
Reason 2: Arbitrage opportunities due to interest rate differentials
The Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo recently made hawkish comments, pushing up expectations of rate hikes to 80%, with a projected rate increase to 0.75% on December 19, reaching a 30-year high. Japanese government bond yields have already reached 1.93%, and the arbitrage space compared to the US and emerging markets is gradually expanding.
Reason 3: When exchanging currency

Golden cross and death cross are common signals in forex technical analysis, representing bullish and bearish trends respectively. The article discusses the principles, advantages, and disadvantages of these two indicators, as well as their performance in different market environments, emphasizing their reliability in trending markets and false signals in ranging markets. Successful trading requires combining other indicators and effective risk management strategies.

Small Nikkei futures are futures contracts based on the Nikkei 225 index, offering high liquidity and low barriers to entry. The contract value is 100 yen × the index, with an initial margin of 138,000 yen, suitable for small and medium-sized traders. Trading hours span from Asia to the Americas, with an average daily volatility of about 2%. Compared to other Japanese futures, Small Nikkei has lower margins and entry thresholds, making it the best choice. Traders should pay attention to central bank policies and economic data to develop trading strategies.

The performance of shipping stocks over the past few years has been quite tumultuous. From the glory of 2022 to now when stock prices have been halved, many are asking whether this sector still has investment value. Instead of obsessing over whether to buy or not, it's better to first understand what kind of shipping stocks are worth investing in.
Core Logic for Selecting Shipping Stocks: Scale and Route Distribution Determine Life or Death
In recent years, I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon— not all shipping stocks are equally miserable. Take Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, as an example. After reaching a peak in early 2022, it has fallen about 60% to date, but during the same period, Germany’s second-largest global company, Hapag-Lloyd, has fallen nearly 70%. What’s the problem? Larger companies tend to have stronger resilience during economic downturns.
Why? Looking at their performance makes it clear. Maersk’s quarterly profit in mid-2022 once reached as high as $8.879 billion, but by the second quarter of 2023, it was only 14

Do you want to increase your assets with foreign currencies? During Taiwan's low-interest-rate era, foreign currency investments have become a popular choice for many. But to truly make money, it's not just about buying coins randomly; you need to understand the market and strategies first.
First, clarify: what's the difference between foreign currencies and foreign exchange?
Many people confuse foreign currencies with foreign exchange, but these two concepts are entirely different. Foreign currencies refer to currencies from countries other than Taiwan, such as USD, JPY, AUD. Foreign exchange has a broader scope, including foreign currencies, government bonds, bank deposit certificates, and other assets denominated in foreign currencies. Simply put: foreign exchange includes foreign currencies, but foreign currencies are just one part of foreign exchange.
Investors in the foreign exchange market mainly look at the exchange rate fluctuations of various foreign currencies to identify the most valuable investment opportunities.
How to make money with foreign currencies? The core is exchange rate differences and interest rate spreads
What do you earn by buying foreign currencies? In summary, there are two ways: exchange rate differences and interest rate spreads.
Exchange rate difference: the price difference between buying and selling. For example, if you buy at 33

Japan, as a major global economy, has the Japanese Yen (JPY) as one of the most actively traded currencies in the international foreign exchange market. Whether aiming to profit from the interest rate differential with the Yen or engaging in hedging operations, understanding the characteristics of the Yen and market dynamics is essential. This article will analyze the Yen market in depth to help investors grasp exchange rate trends and enhance trading profitability.
Why has the Yen become a favorite among global investors?
The position as the third-largest trading currency worldwide
The Yen ranks third in the international foreign exchange market, only behind the US dollar and the euro. According to the latest trading data, the USDJPY currency pair is the second most traded currency pair globally, with high liquidity. This means that when traders buy and sell the Yen, the spread is usually smaller, and the costs are relatively low.
As the world's second-largest economy, Japan's trade environment is stable, and policy transparency is high, which gives the Yen the characteristics of a safe-haven asset. Whenever international

In the toolbox of technical analysis, the Simple Moving Average (SMA) always holds an important position. Many novice traders are both curious and confused about this moving average indicator — how exactly is it calculated? How can it be truly used to profit? Next, let's delve into the essence of SMA and its practical applications.
Understanding the Logic of the Simple Moving Average
The Simple Moving Average is a classic technical analysis tool that helps traders identify the direction of an asset's price movement. Its core principle is not complicated: sum the closing prices over a certain period, then divide by the number of days in that period to get a data point.
Let's illustrate with a specific example. Suppose a stock's closing prices over the past 15 days are as follows:
Phase 1 (5 days): 30, 35, 38, 29, 31
Phase 2 (5 days)

Gold Market Status and Investment Opportunities
By the end of 2025, international gold prices have surpassed $4,300 per ounce, reaching a new historical high. In the face of numerous uncertainties in the global economy, gold has once again become a focal point for investors. Whether seasoned investors or newcomers to the market, everyone is re-evaluating the role of gold in their investment portfolios.
Multiple factors are driving this upward trend. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, central banks around the world have continued to adopt loose monetary policies, injecting大量貨幣刺激經濟，通膨預期隨之升溫。黃金價格從當年的約1,500美元一路攀升至今日的4,000美元以上，漲幅超過160%。近期的地緣政治風險、關稅政策不確定性，進一步推高了投資者對避險資產的需求。
Gold Investment's Core Appeal
Hedge Against Inflation
As prices continue to rise and wages...

The Long-Term Growth Logic of the Healthcare Industry
The global healthcare industry is in a phase of rapid expansion. With the aging population trend, continuous emergence of innovative drugs, ongoing upgrades in medical equipment, and the rapid development of telemedicine, the imagination space for the biotech industry has significantly expanded. Unlike traditional technology industries, the healthcare sector has a natural anti-cyclical characteristic—people need medical treatment and medication regardless of economic conditions, making this field relatively less affected by economic fluctuations.
The U.S. biopharmaceutical market is the largest in the world, expected to reach $445 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%. Driven by this growth momentum, biotech stocks in the U.S. stock market frequently experience soaring rallies, attracting increasing attention from investors.
Valuation Logic and Characteristics of U.S. Biotech Stocks
Future Expectations Drive Stock Price Performance
The valuation of biotech companies differs greatly from traditional industries. Many of these companies are in

Japanese equities have emerged as a focal point for global investors in recent years. Major investment firms and prominent investors like Warren Buffett have significantly expanded their positions in Japan's stock market, reflecting growing confidence in the nation's economic prospects. As Japan's s

Meta Platforms is undergoing a substantial realignment of its investment priorities, with Reality Labs experiencing a major budget contraction as the company charts a new course toward artificial intelligence dominance. According to recent reports, the Reality Labs division will absorb

The Setup: When Quality Gets Unfairly Beaten Down
When cash sits on the sidelines, most traders instinctively hunt for fresh names to add. But here's what professional portfolios know: sometimes the best move isn't finding something new—it's adding more to what already works. Recent pullbacks

The fundamental role of the commission system in Practical Blockchain.
Transaction commissions are not just a cost element; they are at the core of the economic model of the Practical Blockchain network. These commissions function as rewards for miners and validators, while simultaneously serving as a security mechanism to defend against spam attacks.
As the number of transactions on the network increases, the Commission rises, and if the network is clear, it decreases, implementing a dynamic pricing mechanism. However, during phases of high market volatility, users may compete to pay high Commission fees, which can lead to unexpectedly high spikes.
The background of the necessity of Commission
When sending and receiving cryptocurrency, the Commission

Introduction
When conducting technical analysis in financial markets, candlestick charts are one of the most fundamental and effective tools. Especially in the cryptocurrency market, where trading continues 24/7, the ability to quickly recognize price fluctuation patterns greatly influences profitability. This article will gradually explain the basics of candlesticks and practical interpretations of various patterns.
What is a candlestick?
Candlestick charts are a method of displaying price movements developed in 18th century Japan, visually representing the fluctuations in asset values. They are used for analyzing all types of financial products, from stocks to cryptocurrencies, and are particularly popular among short-term traders.
When multiple candlesticks are arranged in succession, a specific pattern