Ge Long Hui·2025-12-18 08:49Core Viewpoint - Bank of America Securities reports that Cathay Securities' H-shares and A-shares have underperformed peers in the first eleven months of the year due to market concerns over Haitong International's asset quality, integration progress, and weak post-merger return on equity [1] Group 1 - The third-quarter performance is expected to alleviate concerns and release potential for upward return on equity and valuation re-rating [1] - The bank anticipates limited impairment provisions for Haitong International in the fourth quarter, and the recent acquisition of an Indonesian brokerage license highlights Cathay Securities' confidence in the business transition of Haitong International [1] Group 2 - The bank has a positive outlook on Cathay Securities, listing it as one of the preferred stocks for 2026, expecting the company to outperform peers due to leading industry profit growth and valuation re-rating [1] - The forecast for 2026 indicates a 26% year-on-year growth in profit excluding one-off items, driven by market share increase, accelerated integration, re-leveraging, and cost savings [1] Group 3 - The rating for Cathay Securities' H-shares and A-shares has been upgraded from "Neutral" to "Buy," with the H-share target price raised from HKD 17.3 to HKD 20.2, and the A-share target price increased from CNY 22.4 to CNY 23.6 [1]