[patched] | Ifast22

The rapid evolution of financial markets necessitates computational approaches that can process vast datasets with low latency. While Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has shown promise in algorithmic trading, it often suffers from instability and slow convergence in volatile environments. Simultaneously, the emergence of Quantum Computing offers potential speedups for optimization problems. This paper proposes a Hybrid Quantum-Classical Neural Network (HQC-NN) framework for portfolio management. We integrate a parameterized quantum circuit (PQC) into a classical reinforcement learning agent to enhance feature representation and policy optimization. Experimental results on the S&P 500 high-frequency data demonstrate that the HQC-NN model outperforms classical Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks and standard Deep Q-Networks (DQN) in terms of cumulative return and Sharpe ratio, while maintaining computational feasibility on near-term quantum simulators.

By 2025, iFAST Corporation had grown to S$27.20 billion in assets under administration, and its London-based bank was offering a multi-currency current account that pays higher interest across eight major currencies: GBP, USD, EUR, HKD, SGD, CNY, JPY, and CHF. The bank is regulated by both the UK's Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and customer deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 (or up to £1 million for certain temporary high balances). For Chinese customers, that protection extends to approximately 110,000 GBP (about 1 million RMB). ifast22

Despite a challenging year for global financial markets, iFAST's net revenue still grew 13.3% year-on-year to S$29.86 million in the second quarter of 2022, showcasing the resilience of its business model. However, the company did report an 82% year-on-year drop in net profit in the fourth quarter of 2022 (4QFY2022) to S$1.3 million, due in part to a S$5.2 million impairment loss related to its India business. The company also refuted claims made in a short-seller report in September 2024, defending its business sustainability. By 2025, iFAST Corporation had grown to S$27