BNP Paribas(US:BNPQY) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2026-01-30 06:31Group 1 - The core finding of the BNP Paribas annual survey indicates a significant shift in investor sentiment towards Chinese-focused hedge funds, with a projected net increase of 14% in investors planning to allocate more funds to these funds by 2026, contrasting sharply with the trend of withdrawing investments three years ago [1] - Approximately 9% of investors have already acted on this renewed interest by investing in Chinese funds last year, highlighting a growing confidence in the Chinese market [1] - The survey, which included 246 asset allocators managing a total of $1.1 trillion in hedge fund assets, shows that demand for exposure to China's economy is now only slightly lower than that for North America, which has seen a significant decline since 2025 [1] Group 2 - The resurgence of interest in Chinese funds is attributed to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that sparked a broad market rally, resulting in a 28% increase in the benchmark stock index by the end of last year, the largest annual gain since 2017 [3] - Despite the renewed interest in China, investors still prefer funds that cover a broader Asia-Pacific market, with a net 30% of respondents planning to increase their allocations to such funds by 2026, up from 24% the previous year [3] - The Asia-Pacific region has become the second most favored destination for investments this year, following Europe, while North America has dropped to fifth place [3]