Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-12-18 02:01Core Viewpoint - The recent merger and acquisition activities in the securities industry, particularly the absorption of Dongxing Securities and Xinda Securities by China International Capital Corporation (CICC), are expected to enhance industry concentration and improve the competitive landscape, potentially leading to valuation recovery for the sector [2][4][5]. Group 1: Market Reactions and Stock Performance - The majority of the index component stocks for the Securities ETF Leader (560090) experienced a pullback, with Dongxing Securities and CICC hitting the daily limit up, while Xinda Securities rose over 6% [2]. - As of 9:35 AM, the top-performing stocks included Dongxing Securities with a 9.98% increase and CICC with a 6.76% increase, while other stocks like Oriental Fortune and CITIC Securities saw slight declines [3]. Group 2: Merger and Acquisition Details - The merger plan indicates that each share of Dongxing Securities and Xinda Securities will be exchanged for CICC shares at ratios of 1:0.4373 and 1:0.5188, respectively, with trading resuming on December 18 [3]. - Following the merger, CICC is projected to become the fourth brokerage firm in the "trillion club" in terms of total assets [3]. Group 3: Industry Trends and Future Outlook - The securities industry is entering its fifth wave of mergers and acquisitions, with significant cases involving both leading and smaller brokerages, which are expected to continue into 2025 [4]. - The government has set strategic goals for the securities industry, aiming to develop 2 to 3 investment banks with international competitiveness over the next decade, which supports the ongoing trend of mergers and acquisitions among leading brokerages [5]. - The combination of policy support and market demand is anticipated to drive the securities sector's recovery, with a focus on enhancing the competitive edge of leading firms through strategic mergers [6][14]. Group 4: Financial Performance and Valuation - The financial performance of listed brokerages has shown significant improvement, with a 63.4% year-on-year increase in net profit for the first three quarters, and a 25.5% quarter-on-quarter increase in Q3 [8]. - Despite strong earnings growth, the valuation of the securities sector remains low, with the securities company index rising only 3% year-to-date, compared to a 15% increase in the Shanghai Composite Index [10]. - The current price-to-book ratio of 1.5 indicates that the sector is undervalued, presenting potential investment opportunities [10][13].