Catalina Norena, known as VIXGold on the eToro platform, literally grew up learning finance from the time she was young. Her father read the economic section of the newspaper to her, she is an avid reader of financial news, has an advanced degree in finance and has held many jobs in finance. However, don’t try to pigeonhole Catalina in the finance bracket. When she is not busy trading as a Popular Investor on eToro, you may find her cooking, painting, travelling or visiting a museum. And although it may seem that Catalina is jumping from place to place, she advocates a stable trading style in which no one trade is the reason for the success of her portfolio. You can get to know more about Catalina from our interview below.
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Tell us a little about yourself!
I am not only a Popular Investor on eToro: outside the virtual trading floor, I wear many other hats. I am an avid museum enthusiast and have practised oil painting myself since I was 12. During the pandemic, I took on a new hobby, cooking, and with the help of YouTube, I took my skills to a new level. I also love travelling, and not only to exotic destinations. I enjoy finding beauty in ordinary and lesser-known places.
What’s your background in finance?
I have always loved finance. My dad was an economist and he used to read the economics section of the newspaper to me ever since I was a kid. You could say finance grew along with me.
Besides this, I studied Business Administration at university and I hold an advanced Master’s degree in Financial Economics.
Finance has always played an important role throughout my career as well. Many of my jobs have been finance-related such as the worldwide financial consolidation of a big corporation, being a Financial Controller and a Finance Business Partner. Even my first internship was in a trading room!
What is your strategy and have you changed it recently to adapt to the volatile markets? Where do you do your research?
I am an avid reader of financial news, so keeping up to date with the day-to-day news comes as second nature to me. I actually wrote a set of posts on this subject on my wall a while ago.
I trade purely ETFs and my strategy changes in sync with the volatility of the markets. During volatile times, it is best to reduce exposure to growth and move more into defensive assets. ETFs have the advantage of being diverse by nature and as such they don’t leave you overexposed to individual companies.
I have kept a healthy balance between my cash position and trades by following specific technical signal indicators and analysing current macro-economic developments.
How has eToro impacted the way you trade?
eToro has definitely made it more fun and easier for me to trade. It is a platform that is easy to navigate and very user-friendly.
Also, the social aspect is quite important. The fact that people might make investing decisions based on my trades is continuously on my mind when I make my final decisions. I have been part of the Popular Investor Program for many years and believe it is crucial to be a responsible trader.
Which assets or industries do you have your eye on now? Why?
NFTs are an absolutely fascinating new technology, and they combine the best of two worlds I love: art and finance. I am also keeping an eye on renewable energies. The growth of investments in this sector is incredible and it also has an ethical trading component that resonates with me.
What was your favourite/least favourite trade over the past year? Why?
I don’t have a specific trade that would particularly stand out. For me, it is important to aim for a stable trading style, kind of vanilla, without any single trades contributing to the majority of the gains over a specific time. Consistency is key. And the way you handle different economic time periods as a trader.
What is your long-term trading goal?
To provide a trustable long-term investment alternative using ETFs to my copiers to complement their own portfolios.
Any message to copiers or potential copiers?
As you might be able to see behind these answers, trading is a very important part of my life and I really enjoy doing it. You can find in me a happy, enthusiastic, well informed and responsible trader.
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