公募基金改革浪潮下，基金费率何去何从？——新发浮动费率产品及使用基准的观察

Core Viewpoint - The reform of public fund fee rates represents a shift from scale-driven to value-driven approaches, enhancing investor experience, with floating fee rates as a key tool for aligning the interests of fund managers and investors [1] Group 1: Background and Initial Developments - The public fund industry previously operated on a fixed management fee plus custody fee model, leading to a growing contradiction where fund companies profited while funds underperformed [1] - In 2023, eight floating fee rate funds linked to performance were approved, but their design was still rudimentary, lacking comprehensive mechanisms for performance benchmarks and imposing liquidity constraints due to a three-year lock-up period [1] Group 2: Policy and Market Response - By 2025, the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Public Funds" mandates that over 60% of new actively managed equity funds from leading companies must adopt floating fee rates, guiding the industry towards standardized designs [2] - As of now, 30 floating fee rate funds established this year have raised a total of 33 billion yuan, accounting for 24% of the total raised in actively managed equity funds, indicating strong investor demand for performance-linked products [2] Group 3: Operational Challenges and Requirements - The new floating fee rate funds require advanced backend systems to dynamically match investor shares with holding periods and returns, creating a high operational threshold for fund companies [3] - Fund companies must outperform benchmarks to earn higher management fees, which raises the bar for their research and investment capabilities [3] Group 4: Mechanism and Product Innovations - The 2025 floating fee rate funds have introduced a mechanism where excess returns relative to benchmarks play a decisive role in fee structures, enhancing accountability for fund managers [6] - Unlike the previous closed-end model, the new funds operate on an open-ended basis, allowing for emergency redemptions while encouraging long-term holding through fee structures [6] Group 5: Product Diversity and Investor Benefits - The new floating fee rate funds include thematic and style funds, addressing gaps in the market and catering to investor preferences for specific sectors [7] - These funds allow investors to participate in thematic investments while reducing costs associated with underperformance, promoting a shared risk and reward structure [8] Group 6: Importance of Benchmark Selection - The performance benchmarks for the new funds utilize price indices rather than total return indices, which may lead to easier outperformance but could misrepresent actual returns [8] - The choice of benchmarks is critical as it directly impacts investor costs and fund performance assessments [8] Group 7: Overall Significance - The issuance of the new floating fee rate funds is significant for investors, providing diverse options that align with their investment needs while lowering costs through flexible fee mechanisms [9] - This shift encourages fund managers to focus on long-term investment capabilities, steering the public fund industry towards high-quality development and better wealth management services for residents [9]