Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the performance and structure of enterprise annuity funds in China, highlighting a decline in the three-year cumulative return and the importance of long-term investment strategies for pension funds [1][2][11]. Summary by Sections Fund Performance - As of the end of Q2 2025, the accumulated fund for enterprise annuities reached 3.84 trillion yuan, with a net investment asset value of 3.81 trillion yuan. The cumulative return over the past three years (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025) was 6.27%, down from 7.46% in the previous quarter [1][2]. - The performance of equity-based portfolios was lower than that of fixed-income portfolios, with fixed-income portfolios yielding a cumulative return of 10.20% and equity portfolios yielding 5.76% over the same period [2][3]. Portfolio Composition - Among 5,987 portfolios, equity-based portfolios dominated. The total scale of fixed-income portfolios was 540.3 billion yuan, while equity portfolios accounted for 3.27 trillion yuan [2][3]. - The performance of equity portfolios was closely linked to the capital market's performance, with major stock indices showing weaker performance in the recent three-year period compared to the previous one [2]. Management Performance - The article notes significant disparities in performance among investment managers. For fixed-income portfolios, several managers achieved returns exceeding 12%, while some equity portfolios had negative returns over the same period [4][6][7]. - Leading trustees in terms of management scale included China Life Pension and Ping An Pension, managing over 882 billion yuan and 559 billion yuan, respectively [4]. Long-term Investment Strategy - The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security is working on guidelines to enhance long-term assessment mechanisms for pension fund investments, emphasizing the need for stable long-term returns while managing risks [11]. - The trend towards longer assessment periods is expected to encourage higher returns and better alignment of interests between pension fund trustees and beneficiaries [11].

Core Viewpoint - The meeting held by the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission emphasizes the need for pension funds, banks, insurance institutions, and various asset management organizations to increase their equity investment ratios to boost market confidence and stability, thereby attracting more long-term capital into the market [1][4]. Group 1: Institutional Investment Strategies - Pension funds, banks, insurance institutions, and asset management organizations are recognized as key professional investors and significant sources of long-term capital in the capital market [2]. - Institutions are encouraged to enhance their investment management capabilities, particularly in equity investments, to contribute to the high-quality development of the capital market [2]. - The meeting highlights the importance of long-cycle assessments to balance investment and liability sides, promoting a focus on long-term and value investment philosophies [3]. Group 2: Market Stability and Confidence - The recent policy signals aim to guide more long-term capital into the market, which is expected to stabilize investor expectations and boost confidence amid current economic challenges [4]. - The meeting acknowledges the pressures facing the domestic economy, including demand contraction and supply shocks, while also recognizing the long-term positive fundamentals of the Chinese economy and capital market [4]. Group 3: Regulatory Support and Reforms - Recent reforms, including the issuance of guidelines to promote personal pension development, are expected to channel more personal savings into long-term pension accounts, addressing aging population challenges [5]. - The regulatory bodies are focused on creating a favorable environment for long-term institutional investors, encouraging them to allocate more funds to equity assets, particularly in high-quality listed companies [6]. - Predictions indicate that increased participation from pension and insurance funds could lead to significant inflows into the A-share market, with public funds remaining a crucial channel for residents to allocate equity assets [6].

Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Finance's recent notification aims to guide insurance funds towards long-term stable investments and enhance the long-cycle assessment of state-owned commercial insurance companies, addressing the issue of short-term investment tendencies in the industry [1][2]. Group 1: Changes in Assessment Mechanism - The assessment method for "return on net assets" has been adjusted from a combination of "3-year cycle indicator + annual indicator" to "annual indicator + 3-year cycle indicator + 5-year cycle indicator," with respective weights of 30%, 50%, and 20% [2][3]. - The adjustment is expected to alleviate the pressure on investment managers from short-term performance fluctuations, encouraging a focus on stable long-term returns [3][4]. Group 2: Impact on Investment Behavior - The notification is seen as a key measure to promote investment behavior that transcends cyclical fluctuations, emphasizing the importance of long-term capital and enhancing asset allocation capabilities [4][8]. - Insurance companies are encouraged to increase their equity market investments, particularly in light of new accounting standards that have increased the volatility of investment returns [3][8]. Group 3: Addressing Investment Barriers - The insurance sector faces three main barriers to market entry: the mismatch between long-cycle investments and short-cycle assessments, solvency pressures limiting equity investment enthusiasm, and the volatility of profits and net assets due to stock investments [6][7]. - Recent policy initiatives aim to alleviate these barriers, including a comprehensive implementation of long-cycle assessments for state-owned insurance companies and adjustments to risk factors for stock investments [6][7]. Group 4: Strategic Investment Directions - The notification emphasizes the need for state-owned insurance companies to enhance asset-liability management and align investment strategies with long-term stability and risk control [8][9]. - Companies are expected to focus on high-quality investment opportunities, including infrastructure REITs, green bonds, and sectors like artificial intelligence and biomedicine, to support the real economy [8][9].

Core Viewpoint - The public fund industry is undergoing significant transformation with the release of the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Public Funds," which aims to shift the focus from scale to returns, enhancing investor experience and aligning interests between fund companies and investors [1][2]. Group 1: Key Measures of the Action Plan - The plan emphasizes the establishment of a performance-based floating management fee system to bind the interests of fund companies and investors, moving away from the traditional fixed fee model [2][3]. - Fund companies are required to report the first batch of innovative fee structure funds, which will charge management fees based on the performance of the fund during the holding period [2][3]. - The plan mandates that leading fund management firms issue at least 60% of their new active management equity funds as floating fee products within a year [3]. Group 2: Performance Evaluation and Incentives - The plan introduces a performance evaluation system that prioritizes investment returns, reducing the weight of operational metrics like scale and profit in assessing fund companies [5][6]. - Fund managers will be evaluated with a focus on long-term performance, with at least 80% of their assessment based on returns over three years [6][7]. - A salary management mechanism linked to fund performance will be established, ensuring that fund managers' compensation reflects their investment success [6][7]. Group 3: Innovation and Market Development - The plan encourages the innovation of equity funds, including the development of products that link fees to performance and promote long-term holding [8][9]. - A rapid registration mechanism for equity funds will be implemented, allowing for quicker market entry of new products [9]. - The expansion of equity funds is expected to enhance market liquidity and stability, attracting long-term capital into the stock market [9][10]. Group 4: Investor Services and Compliance - The plan calls for improved investor service capabilities and the establishment of a classification evaluation mechanism for fund sales institutions [11][12]. - It emphasizes the importance of risk control and compliance, aiming to create a stable and self-regulating industry environment [13]. - The plan outlines measures to enhance internal management and accountability within fund companies, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards [12][13].

Core Viewpoint - The release of the "Action Plan for Promoting the High-Quality Development of Public Funds" has become a focal point in the industry, emphasizing the need to enhance the stability of fund investment behavior and address issues like "style drift" and "inconsistent products" [1][2]. Summary by Relevant Sections Performance Benchmarking - The Action Plan strengthens the role of performance benchmarks as a constraint for public fund products, establishing clear guidelines for setting, modifying, disclosing, and continuously evaluating these benchmarks [2][3]. - Fund companies are expected to be more cautious in setting performance benchmarks, shifting the evaluation logic from beta returns to alpha returns [3]. - The emphasis on performance benchmarks aims to ensure that fund managers adhere to agreed-upon investment styles, reducing arbitrary deviations [2][3]. Thematic Fund Regulation - The Action Plan proposes stricter registration and self-regulatory rules for thematic funds, addressing the frequent style drift observed in these funds [4][5]. - Measures include controlling product design, dynamic holding checks, and linking performance benchmarks to fund manager evaluations [5]. - There has been a significant increase in the number of funds changing their performance benchmarks, with over 60 funds making changes this year, more than double compared to the same period last year [5]. Long-Term Assessment Mechanism - The Action Plan introduces a long-term assessment mechanism, requiring that at least 80% of the evaluation weight be based on performance over three years or more [7][8]. - This mechanism aims to reduce short-term market fluctuations' impact on investment performance evaluations, encouraging a shift from focusing on scale to prioritizing returns [8]. - The long-term assessment is expected to attract more long-term capital into the stock market, enhancing market stability and resource allocation efficiency [8].

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the news is the introduction of a long-term assessment mechanism for state-owned commercial insurance companies, which aims to enhance their performance evaluation standards and promote stable long-term investments [1] - The new assessment mechanism adjusts the net asset return rate evaluation from "annual indicators + three-year cycle indicators" to "annual indicators + three-year cycle indicators + five-year cycle indicators," with respective weights of 30%, 50%, and 20% [1] - The capital preservation and appreciation rate evaluation for state-owned capital has also been modified to include a five-year cycle, with the same weight distribution [1] Group 2 - The adjustment in the assessment mechanism is expected to encourage state-owned commercial insurance companies to focus more on long-term returns and mitigate short-term behaviors, thereby reducing the impact of market volatility on annual evaluation results [1] - As of the end of 2024, the balance of commercial insurance funds in China is approximately 33 trillion yuan, with about 11% of actual investments in A-shares, indicating significant room to reach the 25% average policy limit [1] - The long-term assessment mechanism is a key measure to enhance the stability and positivity of various funds' stock investments [1] Group 3 - In a declining interest rate environment, stable and high dividend income is seen as beneficial for insurance funds, providing continuous cash flow and aiding in the long-term stable operation of insurance funds [2] - Insurance funds are currently reducing preset interest rates while directing funds towards undervalued high-dividend targets, aligning with the need for stable cash flow [2] - For individual investors seeking to diversify risks, index investment tools such as Hong Kong Stock Connect financial ETFs and Hong Kong central enterprise dividend ETFs can be considered [2]

Core Viewpoint - The recent surge in insurance capital's stock acquisitions, marking a new wave of investment activity, reflects a strategic shift in asset allocation and operational adjustments in response to the evolving economic landscape [2][18][19]. Group 1: Insurance Capital Activity - Insurance companies have initiated a record 21 stock acquisitions as of July 22, surpassing the total for 2021-2023 and setting a five-year high [2][10]. - The latest acquisitions include significant purchases by Zhongyin Life and Taikang Life, with Zhongyin acquiring 726,000 shares of Green Power Environmental, reaching a 5.0722% stake [7][6]. - The trend of stock acquisitions has been consistent, with four instances occurring in July alone, indicating a robust interest from various insurance firms [5][6]. Group 2: Investment Strategy and Market Conditions - The current investment strategy emphasizes high-dividend stocks and long-term equity investments, driven by a low-interest-rate environment and new financial regulations [11][18]. - The insurance sector is increasingly focusing on stable, high-yield investments to enhance returns, with a notable shift towards equities as a means to navigate low returns from traditional fixed-income assets [18][19]. - The ongoing policy support for long-term investments is expected to further expand the space for equity asset allocation among insurance companies [19][22]. Group 3: Historical Context and Future Outlook - This marks the third wave of stock acquisitions in the past decade, with previous surges occurring in 2015 and 2020, indicating a cyclical pattern in investment behavior [8][9]. - Although the current annual acquisition count has not yet surpassed the previous waves, the duration and total volume of acquisitions since 2024 have already exceeded the second wave [9]. - The focus on banking stocks remains prominent, with significant investments in major banks, reflecting their stable operations and attractive dividend yields [12][10].

Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Finance has issued a notification to guide long-term stable investment by state-owned commercial insurance companies, emphasizing a combination of annual and multi-year performance indicators for evaluating their operational effectiveness [1][2]. Group 1: Policy Changes - The performance evaluation indicators for state-owned commercial insurance companies have been adjusted to include a combination of annual indicators and multi-year indicators (3-year and 5-year) [1][2]. - The new evaluation method aims to mitigate the impact of short-term market fluctuations on performance, thereby enhancing the stability of long-term investment behaviors [1][2]. Group 2: Industry Perspective - The notification reflects a strategic direction from policymakers for the insurance industry to focus on high-quality development and long-term stable operations, which will help the industry serve as an economic stabilizer [3]. - The introduction of long-cycle assessments is expected to reduce the pressure of short-term performance evaluations, allowing insurance companies to adhere more firmly to long-term and value investment principles [3]. - This change is anticipated to improve the design and service of insurance products, enhancing customer satisfaction and promoting high-quality development within the insurance sector [3].

Core Viewpoint - The recent notification from the Ministry of Finance aims to guide insurance funds towards long-term stable investments by adjusting the assessment methods for net asset return and capital preservation, implementing a three-tier evaluation system starting from 2025 [1] Group 1: Changes in Assessment Methods - The new assessment framework for insurance companies includes annual indicators, three-year cycle indicators, and five-year cycle indicators with respective weights of 30%, 50%, and 20% [1] - The previous version of the notification had a simpler assessment method with both annual and three-year indicators weighted equally at 50% [1] Group 2: Benefits of Long-Cycle Assessment - Long-cycle assessments can mitigate short-term investment behaviors, allowing companies to focus on identifying and holding long-term valuable assets [2] - In a low-interest-rate environment, insurance funds are pressured to enhance returns, which may require increasing equity investment ratios while ensuring long-term returns through careful stock selection [2] Group 3: Implementation Challenges - The effectiveness of long-cycle assessments relies on translating the pressure of these assessments to individual employees, necessitating a well-structured performance evaluation system [3] - Recommendations include establishing comprehensive investment decision accountability records for employees and optimizing the performance evaluation system to consider contributions from previous investment managers [3] Group 4: Compensation Mechanism - A deferred compensation mechanism is suggested, where the performance-based pay for key decision-makers could be increased to over 60%, with a payment period extending to five years [4] - This approach aims to ensure that the long-term investment philosophy is effectively integrated into the company's operational framework [4]

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the need for state-owned commercial insurance companies to focus on long-term investment strategies, optimize asset allocation, and enhance the ability to generate stable long-term returns, thereby contributing to the preservation and appreciation of state-owned capital while actively serving the real economy [1][3]. Group 1: Long-term Investment Strategy - State-owned commercial insurance companies are encouraged to adopt a long-term perspective in their operations, enhancing their capacity for long-term fund management and optimizing asset allocation to achieve stable long-term returns [1][3]. - The Ministry of Finance has issued a notice to increase the weight of long-term performance indicators in the evaluation of state-owned commercial insurance companies, guiding insurance funds towards stable long-term investments [1][2]. Group 2: Performance Evaluation System - The performance evaluation system for state-owned financial enterprises, including commercial insurance companies, assesses four categories: service to national development goals, quality of development, risk prevention, and operational efficiency [2][4]. - The new regulations enhance the long-cycle assessment of state-owned commercial insurance companies by adjusting the evaluation metrics to include annual, three-year, and five-year indicators, thereby promoting long-term investment behavior [3][4]. Group 3: Role in Capital Markets - Insurance funds are characterized by stable sources, large scales, and long durations, making them crucial "long money" investors in the capital market [2][4]. - The adjustment in performance evaluation aims to reduce the emphasis on short-term performance, encouraging insurance companies to engage in long-term, value-based, and stable investments, thus increasing the supply of medium- and long-term funds in the capital market [3][4].