3月经济综述：关注重估叙事的持续性

Core Insights - Global investors have re-evaluated the Chinese technology sector, with significant increases in capital expenditure in the AI field by major internet companies, indicating a sustained high level of spending in the future [7] - The economic stimulus plan from the last quarter of the previous year has shown results, stabilizing the "old economy," although its contribution to overall economic growth is diminishing, which has led to an increase in market risk appetite [7] - The real estate market in certain hot cities has seen a rebound in both volume and price, with a narrowing decline in real estate investment; industrial value-added has stabilized and rebounded; and consumer electronics have experienced significant growth due to subsidy incentives, boosting retail sales data [7][8] Economic Overview - The capital market experienced a shift in pricing style in mid to late March, with concerns over performance uncertainty in the technology sector leading to a risk-averse mode among investors [8] - Traditional safe-haven assets like bonds have been unable to meet the demand for risk aversion due to fluctuations in interest rates, while bank stocks face profit growth limitations due to narrowing net interest margins [8] - REITs have emerged as a stable income-generating investment choice, with the total return of the CSI REITs rising by 10.69% this year, including a 3.7% increase in March alone [8] Consumer Behavior - Consumer data shows a significant divergence, with subsidy-related goods experiencing much higher growth rates compared to service consumption, indicating a strong impact from subsidy policies [11] - The marginal diminishing effect of consumption stimulus policies is evident, as pre-emptive consumption behavior has been observed, particularly in the home appliance sector [11] - Rural consumption has outperformed urban consumption, with rural retail sales showing a cumulative year-on-year growth of 4.6%, compared to 3.8% in urban areas [14] Industrial Performance - Industrial profits have shown a negative growth rate of -0.3% in January-February, despite a 5.9% year-on-year increase in industrial value-added, indicating a weak profit margin due to low PPI growth [18] - Manufacturing profits have rebounded significantly, with a year-on-year growth of 4.8%, particularly in sectors closely tied to exports [18][19] - The sustainability of export growth is under scrutiny, with concerns over the impact of tariff policies on future export orders [19] Real Estate Market - The recovery in the real estate market is primarily structural, concentrated in core cities and key plots, driven by demand from technology sector re-evaluations [23] - There is still a significant distance to an overall recovery in the real estate market, as evidenced by high levels of unsold inventory and a lack of leverage among buyers [23][24] - The government has prioritized boosting consumption and expanding domestic demand as key tasks for the year, emphasizing the need for more proactive fiscal policies [26]