ZHONGTAI SECURITIES·2025-07-23 08:58Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the brokerage sector, indicating a positive outlook for relative returns in the industry [3][23]. Core Insights - The brokerage sector is expected to benefit from the transition of the A-share market from a stock market to an incremental market, with trading activity increasing significantly. As of July 22, 2025, the trading volume reached 1.93 trillion yuan, marking a 11.7% increase from the previous trading day [3][6]. - The forecasted net profit growth for the first half of 2025 for 29 brokerages is centered around 75.02%, with a notable 20.66% growth expected in the second quarter of 2025 [3][13]. - The report highlights the potential for brokerages to benefit from the upcoming regulatory changes regarding stablecoins and virtual asset licenses, which could open new revenue streams [7][12]. Summary by Sections Market Dynamics - The report notes that the brokerage sector has seen a significant performance gap between H-shares and A-shares, with H-shares increasing by 73.9% compared to a mere 22.0% for A-shares, indicating a potential for A-shares to catch up [7][16]. - The report identifies a shift in investor strategy from trading to holding, suggesting a more sustainable growth trajectory for the brokerage sector [7][12]. Performance Forecast - The top five brokerages by net profit forecast for 1H25 are: Guotai Junan (156.2 billion yuan, 212% growth), China Galaxy (65.82 billion yuan, 50% growth), and others, indicating strong performance across the sector [6][13]. - The report emphasizes that the brokerage sector is likely to attract more incremental capital as market sentiment shifts, particularly with the implementation of policies aimed at enhancing the quality of public funds [7][12]. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on leading brokerages such as Guotai Junan, CITIC Securities, and financial technology leaders like Dongfang Wealth, which are expected to benefit from increased market activity [7][12]. - The report also notes that the current valuation of H-shares remains attractive compared to A-shares, with an average price-to-book ratio of 1.0 for H-shares versus 1.5 for A-shares [7][16].