Chinese migrants play a serious role in their destination countries, and through demand, support high values in destination property and financial markets. Therefore, Chinese investors’ investment motivations, preferences and behaviours have a significant impact on the New Zealand economy. The objectives of this research are: to investigate the preferences (what kind of investment assets they prefer) and the motivations (why they chose New Zealand as their investment destination) of Chinese migrant investors. The findings will be a useful element in explaining New Zealand’s economic development, and in making financial decisions. It also will be important for the development of New Zealand’s growing finance industry and equity market. The researcher collected data from 20 respondents who are Chinese migrant investors who have made New Zealand their home. The collected data examines investors’ preferences and motivations, such as what kind of investment assets they prefer and the motivations which drive them to invest in New Zealand or elsewhere. Using a grounded theory methodology, the researcher draws some findings from the data analysis. Furthermore, using a constant comparative method, the researcher develops some preferred choices which explain Chinese migrant investors’ investment preferences and motivations. The core findings (called phenomena or categories) of Chinese migrant investors’ preferences and motivations in this study are listed below: • Home-bias investment behaviour – that is mainly China and New Zealand • Following past performance / herding behaviour • Seeking speculative opportunities – high return, high risk • Over confidence • Taxation evasion • Financial privacy Considering these core categories, the researcher re-tested and re-analysed all interview data. Two refined themes are drawn:

1. Chinese investors don’t understand investment; they seek speculative investment opportunities exemplifying non-professional opportunistic behaviours.
2. Chinese investors don’t take New Zealand as their preferred investment destination until they arrive in New Zealand. Finally, the researcher reconsiders both themes and other inferences, to develop a theory from the ground – exaggerated Chinese financial investment experiences are relayed to other Chinese, and influence investment preferences and motivations.