连平：提振消费需要资本市场持续向好

Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that increasing residents' property income may be a crucial way to boost consumer spending capacity and confidence in the current and future periods [1] - Since Q3 2024, a series of significant policies have been introduced in China to stimulate consumption and stabilize economic growth amid rising external instability and uncertainty [1] - The primary sources of residents' property income in China include real estate, financial products, and the stock market, which are critical for enhancing property income [1] Group 2 - Real estate remains the main asset for residents, with housing assets consistently accounting for over 90% of non-financial assets since 2000 [2] - From Q4 2021 to the end of 2024, new home prices in 70 major cities are expected to decline by approximately 3.5%, while second-hand home prices may drop by 13% [2] - The total value of residential housing assets in China was about 476 trillion yuan at the end of 2021, with an estimated reduction of 72 trillion yuan by the end of 2024, indicating a 15% overall shrinkage [2] Group 3 - Financial products have historically been a significant source of residents' property income, but interest rates have been declining, leading to lower returns on these products [3] - The average annualized return on three-month RMB financial products has decreased from around 6% in 2013 to less than 2% currently [3] - The era of achieving rapid growth in property income through high-yield financial products has ended, with expectations of continued low returns in the next 2-3 years [3] Group 4 - Historical experiences show that a thriving capital market can positively impact consumer spending, with past stock market rallies correlating with increased retail sales growth [6][7][8] - For instance, during the stock market rise from April 1999 to June 2001, retail sales growth accelerated significantly, demonstrating the relationship between stock market performance and consumer confidence [6] - The stock market has undergone several major bull markets since 1999, with most of them contributing positively to consumer spending, except for the 2014-2015 period, which lacked a significant impact on consumption [9] Group 5 - The current domestic stock market is characterized by low historical valuations, with the Shanghai Composite Index's price-to-earnings ratio at 14.4 times, below the historical average of 25.6 times [19] - The majority of industries are still in the early stages of operational recovery, indicating substantial growth potential in the domestic stock market [19] - Recent policy measures have aimed to stimulate the stock market, including interest rate cuts and tax adjustments, which are expected to enhance market liquidity and investor confidence [20][22] Group 6 - The large number of retail investors in the A-share market, exceeding 200 million, highlights the importance of policies that enhance capital market attractiveness to boost property income and consumer spending [22] - Recommendations include implementing more aggressive monetary policies, optimizing long-term capital market entry systems, and providing tax incentives for small investors to encourage participation in the stock market [23][24][25]