Core Viewpoints - The traditional asset allocation frameworks, such as the Merrill Lynch Investment Clock and Pring Cycle, have limitations that necessitate the development of a new analytical framework [2][3] - The new framework, termed the "Macroeconomic Asset Allocation Three-Dimensional Pyramid," integrates strategic, tactical, and disturbance layers to enhance asset allocation decisions in a complex macroeconomic environment [3][20] Traditional Frameworks - The Merrill Lynch Investment Clock categorizes economic cycles into four stages: recovery, overheating, stagflation, and recession, providing a clear asset allocation strategy for each stage [6][8] - The Pring Cycle offers a more nuanced six-stage model that captures economic transitions more accurately, incorporating leading, coincident, and lagging indicators [12][13] - Both frameworks share the idealized assumption that economic cycles follow a fixed order, which can lead to inaccuracies in rapidly changing environments [10][15] Need for a New Framework - Geopolitical factors have become a fundamental logic influencing asset prices, necessitating their inclusion in asset allocation models [16] - Traditional frameworks rely on lagging data, limiting their predictive capabilities regarding asset price movements and economic turning points [17] - A modern framework must consider both short-term business cycles and long-term financial cycles, integrating observable economic and financial indicators [18][19] New Framework Structure - The "Macroeconomic Asset Allocation Three-Dimensional Pyramid" consists of three interrelated layers: strategic, tactical, and disturbance [20][24] - The strategic layer focuses on long-term financial cycles, using indicators like credit/GDP gaps and real estate prices to identify systemic risks [24] - The tactical layer combines real economy cycle indices and financial conditions indices to dynamically capture mid-term asset rotation opportunities [25][31] - The disturbance layer incorporates geopolitical risk indices to adjust for significant external shocks, enhancing the framework's robustness [26][33] Asset Allocation Decisions - The allocation process follows a structured approach: strategic direction setting, tactical rotation capturing, and disturbance hedging [4][35] - Strategic decisions are based on the financial cycle's position, determining long-term allocations across major asset classes [37] - Tactical decisions utilize an eight-state matrix derived from the interaction of economic and financial conditions to guide asset prioritization [41] - The disturbance layer mandates a global hedging strategy during heightened geopolitical risks, ensuring portfolio resilience [42][44]

Group 1: Strategy - The international monetary system exhibits a stable "center-periphery" structure, where dominant currencies have changed over time, but the underlying order remains consistent. This order is rooted in trust and the "high-order belief" in sovereign currencies, which are supported by national credit and legal tender, creating liquidity premiums and network effects, thus exhibiting natural monopoly characteristics [6]. - The formation of central currencies relies on economic, financial, and institutional advantages, maintained through positive feedback loops. However, when debt expansion exceeds fiscal and institutional constraints, emerging countries may seize the opportunity to rise as old centers decline. Currently, the foundation of the dollar system is weakening, and global economic diversification is accelerating. If the RMB can leverage institutional reforms and market openness, it may enhance asset depth and international trust, potentially leading to a more balanced multi-center global currency system [6]. Group 2: Macroeconomy - Since 2022, geopolitical factors, "de-dollarization," and the continuous growth of U.S. debt have driven gold prices higher. The demand for gold is primarily influenced by central bank purchases, which have become a significant source of demand in recent years. However, as gold prices rise, some central banks have begun to reduce their gold holdings temporarily, as the ratio of gold to reserve assets exceeds their targets. Overall, there may still be room for an increase in the global allocation of gold by central banks [10]. - The U.S. stock market has experienced a long-term bull market since the 1980s, driven by economic structural transformation and the information technology revolution, which provided substantial expansion opportunities for companies. Stable capital inflows have translated future economic potential into current stock market valuations, resulting in stock market growth rates significantly exceeding economic growth rates [12]. - Japan's economy underwent a structural transformation during the "lost two decades" post-1990, which created investment opportunities despite overall macroeconomic challenges. The structural rise in Japan's stock market reflects this transformation, driven by corporate globalization, high-tech leadership, and improved corporate governance. Excluding the "old economy" sectors heavily exposed to domestic real estate and deflation, the "new economy" sectors have shown strong trends since the 1990s [14].

Core Insights - The China Financial Situation Index (CAFI) indicates a gradual recovery in China's financial landscape, moving away from a cold phase, although the foreign exchange and bond markets remain constraints [1][10] - The report suggests maintaining a loose monetary policy and leveraging the Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts to attract international capital back to China, providing new momentum for economic recovery [1][10] Index Construction Methodology - The CAFI is based on the intrinsic relationship between financial activities and the real economy, comprising six sub-market indices: Money Supply Index (MSI), Credit Situation Index (CSI), Stock Market Index (SSI), Bond Market Index (BSI), Exchange Rate Pressure Index (EPI), and Real Estate Situation Index (RSI) [3][4] - The index is designed to provide a quantifiable assessment of China's overall financial situation, reflecting the operational status and structural changes within the financial system [3][4] Current Financial Situation Analysis - As of Q3 2025, the MSI and CSI are in a moderately positive state, indicating a mild recovery in the banking credit market [7][8] - The SSI is also in a positive state, while the BSI shows a slight cooling, reflecting a "see-saw" effect between the stock and bond markets [7][8] - The EPI is currently the lowest among the indices, indicating moderate cooling, primarily due to the impact of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes [8] Future Outlook and Policy Predictions - The CAFI index for Q3 2025 shows signs of recovery, with values indicating a shift from a moderately cold state to a warming trend, although the recovery is not yet solidified [10] - Monetary policy is expected to remain moderately loose to support economic recovery and counter deflationary pressures, while credit policies will focus on key economic areas [10][11] - The opening of the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut cycle presents an opportunity to alleviate pressure on the RMB exchange rate and attract international capital, which could be crucial for the financial situation's improvement [11]

Core Insights - The 2025 Shenzhen International Financial Conference highlighted the gradual recovery of China's financial situation, as indicated by the China Financial Situation Index (CAFI) [1][2] - The CAFI, developed over six years, effectively reflects financial cycles and has predictive capabilities for key macroeconomic indicators like GDP and CPI [1][3][6] Index Construction Methodology - The CAFI is based on the intrinsic relationship between financial activities and the real economy, comprising six sub-market indices: monetary, credit, stock, bond, exchange rate, and real estate [3][4] - The index uses a standardized scoring system ranging from -100 to +100, with specific ranges indicating varying states of financial health [4] Current Financial Situation Analysis - As of Q3 2025, the overall financial situation in China is showing signs of initial recovery, with the CAFI index at 3.88 (equal weight) and 3.34 (volatility inverse weight), both indicating a "mildly positive" state [10] - The monetary market index and credit situation index are both in a "mildly positive" state, while the bond market index is showing signs of being "slightly cold" [7][10] - The exchange rate pressure index is the lowest among the sub-indices, reflecting ongoing pressures from the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, although recent rate cuts may alleviate some of this pressure [8] Future Outlook and Policy Predictions - The financial situation is expected to continue its recovery, supported by a likely sustained accommodative monetary policy to combat deflationary pressures [10][11] - Policies will focus on guiding incremental capital into financial markets, breaking the current standoff between stock and bond markets, and enhancing investor protection [11] - The anticipated U.S. interest rate cuts present an opportunity for China to attract international capital, which could bolster the financial situation and support economic recovery [11]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of the dollar channel as a significant mechanism for the cross-border transmission of monetary policy, highlighting its role in influencing global financial stability and the challenges it poses for central banks [1][6]. Group 1: Limitations of Traditional Monetary Policy Transmission - Traditional theories of monetary policy spillover effects focus on interest rate differentials and trade competitiveness, but these channels are increasingly inadequate in explaining real-world capital flows [2][3]. - The interest rate differential can indicate the direction of capital flows but fails to capture their scale and volatility, as investor behavior is also influenced by risk preferences and market sentiment [2]. - The trade competitiveness channel is limited in a dollar-dominated global trade system, where exchange rate fluctuations do not effectively translate into trade price adjustments [3]. Group 2: Impact of Dollar Appreciation on Financing Costs - Dollar appreciation leads to increased financing costs for U.S. companies, particularly in the leveraged loan market, which is sensitive to changes in risk appetite [4][5]. - A 1% appreciation of the dollar results in an increase of 6-7 basis points in leveraged loan spreads, which can rise to approximately 13.8 basis points when controlling for the Eurozone yield curve [4]. - Higher-risk loans exhibit greater sensitivity to dollar fluctuations, with spreads increasing significantly more than lower-risk loans during dollar appreciation [5]. Group 3: Dollar Channel's Role in Global Monetary Policy and Risk Cycles - The dollar channel serves as both a conduit for policy transmission and an amplifier of risk cycles, potentially limiting the independence of U.S. monetary policy [6]. - Dollar fluctuations create a self-reinforcing cycle between risk sentiment and financing conditions, exacerbating the pro-cyclical nature of the financial system [6]. - The dynamics of a strong or weak dollar complicate policy decisions for central banks, necessitating a careful balance between domestic monetary policy effects and external spillover impacts [7].

Core Viewpoint - Financial cycle adjustments lead to significant changes in asset allocation, with a systematic increase in the proportion of safe assets and a decrease in real estate allocation, while stock assets may see a systematic increase [2][3][4]. Group 1: Financial Cycle Adjustments - Financial cycle adjustments indicate a shift in economic growth models, emphasizing efficiency improvements from technological innovation and population quality [3][4]. - The analysis shows that after a peak in real estate prices, the proportion of safe assets increases by over 5 percentage points in the fifth year, while real estate allocation decreases by about 8 percentage points, and stock allocation increases by approximately 3 percentage points [2][3]. - In the sixth to tenth years post-peak, safe asset allocation rises by around 5 percentage points, real estate allocation declines by about 10 percentage points, and stock allocation increases by approximately 5 percentage points [2][3]. Group 2: Asset Allocation Changes - The adjustment in the financial cycle leads to a significant change in investor risk preferences, with a tendency for safe assets to increase in allocation [5][6]. - International experiences show that after a financial cycle peak, the proportion of real estate in household asset allocation decreases systematically, while stock-related assets increase [7][10]. - For example, in the U.S., even after real estate prices recovered to previous highs, the allocation to real estate decreased from 45.0% to 36.0%, while stock-related assets increased from 36.9% to 44.4% [8][10]. Group 3: Impact on Chinese Market - In China, the proportion of safe assets in urban households is estimated to rise from about 16% in 2021 to approximately 27% by Q3 2025, while real estate allocation is expected to decrease from 74% to 58%, and stock-related assets to increase from 9% to 15% [16][17]. - The shift in monetary policy, particularly the increase in fiscal contributions to money supply, is expected to support the rise of stock allocations while reducing the appeal of real estate investments [17][20]. - The analysis indicates that the stock market's elasticity to monetary supply has increased, while the elasticity of the real estate market has decreased, suggesting a shift in investor focus towards equities [22][24]. Group 4: Sector Performance and Valuation - The differentiation in return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) between traditional and new economy sectors has become more pronounced, with new economy sectors showing improvement while traditional sectors lag [51][52]. - The valuation of new economy sectors has increased significantly, while traditional sectors have seen little change, indicating a potential need for traditional sectors to improve their valuations to sustain market growth [56][57]. - The analysis of A-share market performance shows that the new economy sectors have outperformed traditional sectors, aligning with the broader trend of efficiency-driven growth [59].

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The report focuses on the real estate industry, specifically analyzing global housing price cycles and their implications for the Chinese market [2][3]. Core Insights and Arguments - **Asset Price Perspective**: The analysis of housing prices should prioritize asset price perspectives over supply-demand dynamics, especially in large economies like China where financial cycles significantly impact housing prices [1][2]. - **Historical Data Importance**: The study emphasizes the importance of data from after 1970, as the modern monetary system has introduced new patterns in real estate cycles [5][6]. - **Classification of Housing Cycles**: The report categorizes global real estate cycles into three types: - Conventional cycles (decline < 20%) - Small bubbles (decline 20%-35%) - Large bubbles (decline > 35%) [10]. - **Independence of Price Movements**: Historical data indicates that the processes of price increases and decreases are largely independent, with no strong correlation between them [11]. - **Duration of Price Cycles**: - Conventional cycles rebound in about 2 years - Small bubbles take approximately 4.5 years - Large bubbles may take around 6 years [12]. - **Current Trends in China**: Since Q2 2021, Chinese housing prices have been declining. If this is a large bubble, prices could drop by about 40% by Q3 2027. If it is a small bubble, the decline may last until the end of 2025 [13][14]. Additional Important Insights - **Impact of Financial Policies**: The relationship between real estate cycles and financial systems is crucial, with significant differences observed before and after 1970 due to changes in monetary policy [5][7]. - **Limitations of Historical Cases**: The cases of Japan in 1990 and the U.S. in 2008 are deemed less relevant for current analyses due to their unique historical contexts and extreme conditions [6][7]. - **Use of Real vs. Nominal Prices**: The report advocates for the use of real housing price data, which excludes CPI growth, to better reflect asset value changes during economic crises [8]. - **Factors Influencing Recovery**: The recovery of housing prices in different economies is influenced by various factors, including fiscal and monetary policies, which can significantly alter the trajectory of real estate markets [16][20]. - **Indicators for Market Assessment**: The report suggests that nominal prices may indicate a stop in price decline earlier than real prices, but emphasizes the need for direct observation of actual price movements for accurate predictions [17][18]. Conclusion - The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the real estate market, highlighting the importance of understanding housing price cycles through an asset price lens, the implications of financial policies, and the need for careful consideration of historical data in predicting future trends.

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - The high demand for the US dollar as a global reserve currency leads to its overvaluation, which suppresses the competitiveness of the US manufacturing sector and results in long-term trade deficits [1][2] - The Chinese stock market performs well despite slowing economic growth and low inflation, attributed to phase-specific monetary policy easing, optimistic policy expectations, and liquidity in the market [1][4] - A comprehensive macroeconomic analysis should integrate both financial and real perspectives, focusing on monetary supply, interest rates, capital market dynamics, production capacity, employment, and consumer demand [1][5] Summary by Sections Section 1: Currency and Economic Policy - The preference for a strong or weak dollar in the US depends on economic policy goals, such as promoting exports or attracting capital [2] - The relationship between financial cycles and real economic cycles is crucial for macroeconomic regulation, with financial cycles often requiring looser fiscal policies in their later stages [3][23] Section 2: Chinese Stock Market Dynamics - The positive performance of the Chinese stock market can be understood through various lenses, including liquidity, investor confidence, and policy expectations, despite a weak fundamental backdrop [4][30] Section 3: Financial and Real Economic Perspectives - A dual perspective on macroeconomics, considering both financial and real aspects, is essential for accurate predictions and targeted policy recommendations [5][12] - The interaction between financial markets and the real economy is significant, as evidenced by the 2008 financial crisis, which highlighted the risks of neglecting this relationship [7][8][15] Section 4: Unique Aspects of Chinese Fiscal Policy - China's fiscal policy is characterized by its complexity, involving multiple budgets and a variety of quasi-fiscal tools that allow for flexible macroeconomic adjustments [18][19] Section 5: Debt and Economic Stability - The US government debt is projected to reach 140% of GDP in ten years, raising concerns about sustainability, especially in the context of persistent inflation [26]

Strategy - The recent underperformance of Hong Kong stocks is attributed to liquidity issues (rising Hibor), downward revisions in earnings, and low AH premium. The market has not formed an effective breakthrough despite previous upward movements, with a baseline target of 24,000 and an optimistic target of 25,000-26,000 remaining unchanged due to insufficient support from overall and structural analysis [5][7]. Macroeconomy - The stock market is showing improvement despite ongoing economic downward pressure. The report suggests that understanding the financial cycle can provide better insights into the stock market's positive performance amid economic challenges. Key differences between stock market rebounds following financial versus economic cycle adjustments are highlighted, including the need for fiscal stimulus to enhance ROE during financial cycle adjustments [9][11]. Macroeconomy - Powell's recent speech at the Jackson Hole meeting is interpreted as a "dovish" signal, but it does not provide strong guidance on the sustainability or extent of interest rate cuts. The speech emphasizes the Fed's response function, indicating that if employment risks outweigh inflation, rate cuts may occur. However, if inflation risks surpass employment concerns, the Fed may halt rate cuts, suggesting challenges for monetary policy amid conflicting employment and inflation targets [9][11]. Macroeconomy - The A-share market has shown a significant turnaround since 2025, with the Shanghai Composite Index reaching a nearly 10-year high. However, the underlying economic fundamentals have not improved significantly, leading to a divergence between economic stability and market enthusiasm. The report analyzes the root causes of the current bull market, emphasizing that capital inflows are not the sole driver of market performance [11][13]. Strategy - The recent increase in market activity and inflow of new capital is partly due to the initial signs of residents moving their deposits, driven by the attractiveness of A-shares amid an "asset shortage" environment. This trend is expected to continue, with the potential for increased trading volume and short-term volatility, but it is not anticipated to affect the medium-term market trajectory [13].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent improvement in the Chinese stock market, emphasizing the importance of understanding the financial cycle perspective to explain the market's positive performance despite ongoing economic downward pressure [2][5]. Group 1: Financial Cycle vs Economic Cycle - The financial cycle adjustment leads to a significant deterioration in balance sheets, while the economic cycle adjustment has a relatively smaller impact on balance sheets [6][9]. - In the financial cycle adjustment phase, the stock market may experience a "reallocation" effect driven by balance sheet changes, whereas in the economic cycle adjustment, the stock market's recovery is more synchronized with economic improvements [12][11]. - The ideal policy mix differs between the two cycles; the financial cycle requires more fiscal stimulus, while the economic cycle relies more on monetary policy [7][30]. Group 2: Three-Step Process of Stock Market Recovery - The recovery of the stock market post-financial cycle adjustment can be divided into three steps: 1. Housing market adjustment and deterioration of private balance sheets, leading to an increase in the proportion of safe assets [3][12]. 2. Policy intervention to stabilize growth and improve private balance sheets, increasing the attractiveness of risk assets relative to safe assets, resulting in a rise in the stock market [3][12]. 3. Economic recovery, transitioning the stock market from being driven by reallocation effects to being driven by earnings [3][12]. Group 3: Factors Supporting Stock Market Rebound - Several factors support the current rebound in the Chinese stock market, including accelerated technological advancements and a correction of overly cautious market expectations regarding the medium to long-term economic outlook [3][47]. - The government's increased focus on the economy, housing market, and stock market has led to a perception that downside risks are limited [3][47]. - The decline in the cost-effectiveness of safe asset allocations has motivated investors to increase their allocation to risk assets, further supporting the stock market [3][47]. Group 4: Comparison with International Experiences - The article draws comparisons with the U.S. financial cycle, noting that the U.S. stock market recovery post-financial cycle adjustment occurred earlier than the recovery of nominal GDP and the housing market [17][15]. - The U.S. experience shows that stock prices may recover before economic indicators due to improvements in corporate balance sheets, even when the economy has not yet shown signs of recovery [11][21]. - Japan's experience illustrates that addressing debt issues is crucial for stock market recovery, as the Japanese market did not stabilize until after significant debt problems were resolved [41][43]. Group 5: Implications for China - The financial cycle adjustment in China is expected to have a lesser impact on various sectors' balance sheets compared to the U.S. and Japan during their respective financial crises [51][56]. - The heavy debt burden on local governments in China poses challenges, but improving balance sheets could support corporate development and enhance stock market potential [56][53]. - The article suggests that the ongoing structural improvements in the Chinese economy, particularly in innovation, may lead to a more resilient market compared to past financial cycle adjustments in other countries [56][58].