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Catch the Four Witch Days, an Annual Opportunity for Short-Term Traders
If you're an active trader in the US stock market, you've probably heard of a name: Four Witch Days. These four days are characterized by intense market volatility, skyrocketing trading volumes, and increased activity from major players. However, most investors are still in the dark, only knowing to avoid these days but not understanding the underlying logic.
Why do Four Witch Days become a critical timing point for market operations? Why do stocks often overheat and then pull back during bullish years? Why do short-term traders see them as golden opportunities? Today, we will thoroughly analyze this phenomenon.
The Market Magic of Derivative Expiry Dates
Four Witch Days are essentially the collective expiry dates for US derivative financial products. This includes four major categories: single-stock futures, stock options, stock index futures, and stock index options, all settling on this day.
The reason it's called "Four Witch Days" is because this phenomenon occurs four times a year, specifically on each of the following days:

Oracle's underwhelming quarterly outlook and ballooning expenditure projections sent shockwaves through the technology sector, raising fresh questions about the sustainability of aggressive capital allocation in the artificial intelligence space.
The database-turned-cloud giant stunned investors

The Australian dollar's upward momentum against the US dollar is becoming more evident, driven by market expectations of a policy shift by the Reserve Bank of Australia. As economic fundamentals remain strong and inflation pressures exceed expectations, the currency market has begun pricing in a rate hike cycle for 2026 in advance.
Strong economic data leaves little room for RBA rate cuts
The October household expenditure data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on December 4 became a key turning point. The data showed a month-on-month increase of 1.3% in household spending, well above the market expectation of 0.6%; year-on-year growth of 5.6%, also higher than the expected 4.6%. This robust domestic demand has dispelled market concerns about an economic slowdown and has essentially eliminated the possibility of further rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
What’s more notable is that the consumer price index in October rose by 3.8% year-on-year, surpassing market expectations. Abhijit Surya, a macroeconomist at Capital Economics, stated that the surge in Australian household spending has fully demonstrated

Loose expectations are permeating financial markets, and the US dollar is facing multiple pressures. The recent dovish stance of the Federal Reserve (Fed) has prompted investors to reassess monetary policy directions, leading to adjustments in global capital allocation. The US Dollar Index (DXY) has come under technical pressure, touching a low of 98.313 yesterday, with a cumulative depreciation of over 9.38% this year. Behind this dollar weakness, there is not only a reflection of changing policy expectations but also a deeper shift in global asset pricing.
Policy shift triggers market reassessment wave
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's signals after the December meeting directly overturned previous hawkish market expectations. While a 25 basis point rate cut to the 3.50%-3.75% range was expected this week, Powell hinted that the January meeting might pause further rate cuts, and emphasized that "we have cut rates by 175 basis points and are in the neutral interest rate range," which contrasts with market pricing.

In 2025, the AUD/USD recorded a 7% increase, driven by multiple positive factors—changes in tariff environment, dollar pressure, and domestic economic resilience—collectively boosting the Australian dollar's performance. As we enter 2026, the direction of this risk currency will depend on the interaction of three major variables: divergence in central bank policies, domestic growth momentum, and fluctuations in geopolitical risks.
Divergence in Central Bank Policies Boosts AUD Rally
Australia's inflation risks are rising, breaking market expectations of continued rate cuts. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s rate-cut cycle has ended, but there are differing views among institutions on whether rates will be raised in 2026.
Westpac tends to be conservative, predicting that the RBA will keep rates unchanged in 2026. Conversely, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, and Citigroup anticipate a potential rate hike—CBA estimates one hike, while NAB and Citi expect two hikes (in February and May respectively).
Federal Reserve's side

In the era of inflation, why has small-scale investing become a must-do?
The global economy is facing currency depreciation pressures, and simply keeping money in the bank is no longer sufficient. Especially for young professionals just entering the workforce, facing rising rent and living costs, how to use the 1000 yuan saved each month or even less to combat inflation has become a challenge that many small investors must confront.
Three common questions:
- Can starting with 1000 yuan really make money through investing?
- What investment methods can quickly grow small amounts into larger sums?
- With so many financial apps on the market, how can I find a reliable platform?
This article has compiled several feasible small-scale investment plans for friends with limited funds and recommends suitable investment tools based on actual needs. Whether you plan to start with a few hundred yuan or set up monthly automatic deductions, small investors can find an investment path that suits them.
6 common small-scale investment channels, based on risk

If you want to trade US stocks in Taiwan, choosing the wrong method can eat up your profits just in commissions. Today, we'll break down the costs of the two main mainstream ways to invest in US stocks.
There are only two ways to trade US stocks
If you want to play US stocks in Taiwan, the main methods are through a securities firm via a custodian account or through overseas brokers.
What is a custodian account? Simply put, it means you authorize a domestic broker to buy US stocks for you. Investors open an account with a domestic broker, and the order goes through the domestic broker to the overseas market. Since the process involves two steps, it's called a "custodian account." The advantage is that you place orders in New Taiwan Dollars, and the domestic broker automatically handles currency exchange, protected by Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission, and disputes can be addressed locally. The downside is that the commission fee ranges from 0.15% to 1%, due to the complex process.
How to play with overseas brokers? It means you directly open a US stock brokerage account yourself, skipping the domestic broker and placing orders directly. It's like opening a stock account in the US to buy US stocks yourself, similar to how you buy Taiwanese stocks through a local broker. Currently

What exactly are support and resistance?
In the price movements of any asset, there are two invisible forces: one pushing the price upward, and the other pressing it downward. This is the essence of support and resistance.
Support is the buying force that comes into play when the price falls. When an asset's price drops to a certain level, buying power emerges, causing the price to stop falling or even rebound. This price level is called the support level.
Resistance is the selling force that appears when the price rises. When an asset's price climbs to a certain level, sellers start to exit in large numbers, making it difficult for the price to continue rising. This price level is called the resistance level.
Traders often use support and resistance to predict future trends and develop buy and sell strategies.
How can one accurately identify support and resistance?
It may seem simple, but there are tricks.
The locations of support and resistance are not arbitrary. Observing candlestick charts, you will find:
- Support appears near a series of "valleys" — that is, those price

If you often hear in trading circles phrases like "The closing is the real start" or "Electronic trading runs 24/7 with unlimited opportunities," but when you open your software you're overwhelmed by time zones and quotes, then you need to get a good grasp of this trading system.
How does after-hours trading in the US stock market actually work?
Electronic trading is not a mysterious concept; simply put, it’s a trading method that breaks the normal trading hours. Regular US stock trading occurs from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, but electronic trading allows investors to trade outside this time window.
It’s important to clarify that after-hours trading in the US stock market and US futures electronic trading are two different things:
- US Stock After-Hours Trading: For stocks and ETFs listed on NASDAQ, NYSE, and other exchanges, participants are mainly institutional investors and insiders who use the latest news to position themselves early, paving the way for the next day’s market.
- US Futures Electronic Trading: Covers crude oil, gold

In the stock market, "limit up" and "limit down" are phenomena that investors often encounter. Especially with limit down, it can often trigger market panic. However, many beginners have only a superficial understanding of the nature of these two extreme price fluctuations, trading rules, and ways to respond. This article will delve into the mechanisms of limit up and limit down boards to help investors make more rational decisions.
Limit down and limit up: two forms of extreme phenomena in the stock market
Both limit down and limit up represent that the stock price has reached the daily fluctuation limit. In simple terms:
- Limit down: The stock price falls to the lowest limit for the day and cannot fluctuate further downward
- Limit up: The stock price rises to the highest limit for the day and cannot fluctuate further upward
Taking the Taiwan stock market as an example, the daily price fluctuation limit for listed and OTC stocks is ±10% of the previous closing price. Suppose a stock closed at 600 NT dollars yesterday; today, the highest price can reach 660 NT dollars (limit up), and the lowest is 540 NT dollars (limit down).

Want to make money through foreign currency investments but don't know where to start? The interest rate for Taiwanese dollar fixed deposits is only 1.7%, but USD fixed deposits can offer up to 5%. This 3% interest rate difference is your opportunity. Today, let's talk about how ordinary people can profit through foreign currency investments.
What exactly is foreign currency investment? How can you make money?
First, it's important to understand a concept — foreign currency investment doesn't profit from the company's growth in stocks, but from the "exchange difference" and "interest rate difference" between two currencies.
The interest rate difference is easier to understand. If you exchange NT$ for USD to put into a fixed deposit, and the USD interest rate is higher than that of NT$, this interest rate difference becomes income.
The exchange difference is a bit more complex. For example, you exchange NT$33 for 1 USD. After some time, the USD appreciates, and when you exchange back to NT$, it becomes NT$35. The NT$2 difference is the exchange difference income.
But there's a trap to watch out for — many people earn from the interest rate difference but lose from the exchange difference. For example, you indeed earn a 5% USD interest rate, but the USD appreciates against the NT$...

Bias (BIAS) is an indicator that measures the deviation of stock prices from the moving average line, helping investors determine overbought or oversold conditions. By setting the moving average period and bias parameters, investors can generate buy and sell signals. Although Bias has its limitations, such as lagging and limited effectiveness in sideways markets, combining it with other technical indicators can improve success rates. Mastering Bias can effectively assist investment decision-making.

More and more people are choosing cold wallets mainly due to their high security, which can effectively avoid security risks associated with hot wallets, such as private key loss and asset theft. Cold wallets protect assets through offline storage, and market demand is rapidly increasing. In the future, options and technologies will continue to diversify.

As traditional assets experience increased volatility, more and more investors are turning to cryptocurrencies for asset allocation. Due to their confidentiality and strong liquidity, cryptocurrencies have become a safe-haven tool, but with thousands of coins available, beginners often feel confused and at a loss. This article will analyze the characteristics of leading cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, introduce mainstream coins with investment potential, and share core trading principles for practical trading.
Core Logic for Selecting Cryptocurrencies
"Chasing the hype in a bull market, safeguarding blue-chip assets in a bear market"—this phrase captures the trading philosophy of the crypto market. Altcoins tend to surge dramatically during bull markets, but carry a high risk of dropping to zero in bear markets; in contrast, mainstream coins have limited gains but possess risk resistance due to their large market capitalization.
Therefore, the first consideration when choosing cryptocurrencies is the market cycle. Next, it is necessary to evaluate liquidity, reputation, application scenarios, and volatility characteristics. Coins ranked high in market cap often have higher market recognition, which not only reflects project quality but also

On December 26, the NFT sector saw a 7.38% drop, contrasting with the resilience of AI and SocialFi sectors, which gained 0.40% and 0.69%. This indicates selective investor behavior, with a shift toward stronger narratives amid broader crypto market pressure.

Early in the morning, global crypto investors hold their breath and watch the Federal Reserve meeting minutes — this is not only the last major policy event of the year but also crucial for the life and death of the crypto market. As seasoned veterans in the crypto space know, the actions of the Federal Reserve at the end of each year often determine the flow of funds for the next 12 months.
The Federal Reserve's true intention: Is the rate cut a smokescreen?
On December 11, the Federal Reserve announced a 25 basis point rate cut as scheduled, bringing the federal funds rate to the 3.50%-3.75% range. On the surface, this is good news, but market reactions are very nuanced.
Data shows the current situation:
Bitcoin surged to around $91,170 immediately after the announcement but then entered a consolidation phase, with only a +1.09% increase in the past 24 hours; Ethereum performed slightly better, stabilizing at $3,130, with a 24-hour increase of +0.44%. This "buy the rumor, sell the fact" pattern is currently

The Bitcoin market in 2025 shows structural strength despite short-term price fluctuations. Investors focus on long-term value creation, viewing current price drops as buying opportunities. Institutional adoption and US government support accelerate Bitcoin's integration into traditional finance.