Investment Rating - The report maintains a positive outlook on the brokerage sector, highlighting high profitability and valuation discrepancies under favorable market conditions [8]. Core Insights - In Q1 2025, the brokerage sector's net profit attributable to shareholders increased by 83% year-on-year and 19% quarter-on-quarter, driven by strong performance in brokerage and proprietary trading [3][14]. - The report emphasizes the growth in light capital business, particularly in retail brokerage, while investment banking faced challenges with IPOs but saw significant growth in refinancing [4][8]. - The investment business is identified as a key driver for the substantial year-on-year growth in performance, with a notable improvement in investment yield and a reduction in funding costs contributing to net interest income growth [5][8]. Summary by Sections 1. Overview - The brokerage sector experienced double-digit asset expansion and significant year-on-year profit growth, with improved operational efficiency [10][11]. 2. Light Capital Business - Retail brokerage business thrived, with brokerage income rising to 32.7 billion yuan, a 49% increase year-on-year, while investment banking income grew by 5% to 6.7 billion yuan [4][12]. 3. Capital Business - Investment income surged by 44% to 59.1 billion yuan, with proprietary trading income reaching 48.7 billion yuan, a 45% increase year-on-year [8][14]. 4. Investment Analysis and Valuation - The report recommends focusing on companies with strong merger and acquisition potential and those with high earnings elasticity, such as China Galaxy and CICC [8][19].