Minsheng Securities·2025-06-11 00:23Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive investment rating for the securities industry, suggesting a focus on quality brokers with strong performance across multiple business lines, particularly highlighting Citic Securities, Huatai Securities, and China Galaxy Securities as key targets [6]. Core Insights - The A-share brokerage sector has experienced a turbulent performance in 2025, with the sector index down 9.2% year-to-date, underperforming the CSI 300 index by approximately 7.6 percentage points [1][10]. - The report indicates a recovery in earnings, with a significant increase in net profit for listed brokers, which rose to CNY 519 billion in Q1 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 78.7% [2][28]. - The brokerage sector's revenue composition shows that proprietary trading and brokerage income accounted for over half of total revenues, with proprietary trading maintaining a high proportion since 2011 [2][36]. Summary by Sections 1. Overall Sector Performance - The brokerage sector has shown a fluctuating performance characterized by three distinct phases in 2025, with a notable recovery in valuations driven by policy support since mid-April [1][10][13]. 2. Earnings Summary - In Q1 2025, the total revenue for 43 listed brokers was CNY 1,261 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 19.0%. The net profit for the same period was CNY 519 billion, up 78.7% year-on-year, indicating a strong recovery trend [2][28]. 3. Proprietary Trading - The proprietary trading income for listed brokers reached CNY 485 billion in Q1 2025, showing a year-on-year increase of 50.3%. This segment continues to support overall earnings despite a slight decline from previous highs [3][36]. 4. Brokerage Business - The brokerage business has remained active, with average daily trading volumes in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets at CNY 2.07 trillion and CNY 1.75 trillion for Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, respectively. Brokerage income increased to CNY 330 billion in Q1 2025, up 43.1% year-on-year [4][36]. 5. Asset Management - The asset management business saw a decline in AUM, with an average management fee rate of 0.17%, down from the previous year. However, the report anticipates stabilization in AUM as the transition of existing asset management products progresses [4][36]. 6. Credit Business - The credit business reported a lending balance of CNY 16.2 trillion by the end of Q1 2025, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 33.3%, indicating a robust growth trajectory in this segment [3][36]. 7. Investment Banking - Investment banking revenues showed a mixed performance, with IPO underwriting down 31.7% year-on-year, while follow-on offerings increased by 83.1%. The report suggests that the bond underwriting market may stabilize following recent monetary policy adjustments [4][36]. 8. Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on quality brokers with strong recovery potential across various business lines, particularly those that have demonstrated leadership in their respective segments [5][6].