Group 1 - The core viewpoint is that after Guangfa Asset Management and Guangzheng Asset Management withdrew from the public fund license application process, only two broker asset management firms remain awaiting approval for public fund licenses [1] - The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has removed Guangzheng Asset Management from the list of institutions applying for public fund management qualifications, following Guangfa Asset Management's exit in August [1] - The remaining broker asset management firms still in the public fund license approval queue are Guozheng Asset Management and Guojin Asset Management [1] Group 2 - As of 2024, applications for public fund licenses by broker asset management institutions have nearly come to a halt, with a total of 14 firms having obtained the necessary licenses [2] - By the end of 2025 Q2, the asset management scale of broker asset management firms is approximately 8.51 trillion yuan, reflecting a slight increase of about 0.2 trillion yuan from the end of 2024 and an increase of 0.65 trillion yuan from the end of 2023 [2] - The end of 2023 marks the final deadline for the public offering transformation of large collective products managed by broker asset management firms, which can be achieved through various compliance methods [2]

Core Viewpoint - The financial performance of China Merchants Securities for 2024 shows a steady increase in revenue and net profit, driven by brokerage and proprietary trading, while the first quarter of 2025 indicates pressure on investment income due to market adjustments [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance - In 2024, the company achieved operating revenue of 20.89 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 10.39 billion, up 18.5% year-on-year [1]. - The breakdown of 2024 main revenue includes brokerage at 6.18 billion (up 11.8%), investment banking at 0.86 billion (down 34.2%), asset management at 0.72 billion (up 0.6%), net interest at 1.13 billion (down 21.9%), net investment at 9.65 billion (up 42.2%), and long equity investment at 1.48 billion (down 3.4%) [1]. - For Q1 2025, the net profit attributable to shareholders was 2.31 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 7.0% but a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 28.7% [1]. Group 2: Asset and Investment Metrics - As of the end of 2024, total assets were 721.2 billion, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, and net assets were 130.2 billion, up 6.7% [2]. - By the end of Q1 2025, total assets decreased to 661.3 billion, down 8.3% from the beginning of the year, while net assets increased slightly to 131.6 billion, up 1.1% [2]. - The investment net income for 2024 was 9.65 billion, a year-on-year increase of 42.2%, with an investment return rate of 2.56%, up 0.57 percentage points [2]. Group 3: Brokerage and Client Growth - The brokerage business showed robust performance with 19.3 million trading clients, an increase of 8.7% year-on-year, and managed client assets of 4.27 trillion, up 14.8% year-on-year [3]. - The company’s market share in stock-based funds was 4.51%, a decrease of 0.72 percentage points year-on-year, while the net income from agency buying business was 5.33 billion, up 16.2% year-on-year [3]. - In Q1 2025, brokerage revenue reached 1.97 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 49.0% [3]. Group 4: Public Fund Performance - In 2024, the public fund business contributed stable profits, with China Merchants Fund achieving revenue of 5.31 billion (up 0.3%) and net profit of 1.65 billion (down 5.9%) [4]. - By the end of 2024, the non-money market fund AUM for China Merchants Fund was 561.5 billion, down 2.4% from the beginning of the year [4]. - For Q1 2025, the long equity investment revenue was 0.37 billion, up 6.1% year-on-year, while the non-money market fund AUM for China Merchants Fund was 551.1 billion, down 1.9% from the beginning of the year [4].