Index targets. We lift our end-2025e target for SHCOMP to 4,000 (from 3,700), CSI300 to 4,600 (from 4,300), and SZCOMP 13,000 (from 11,500) given the abundant liquidity. Our updated end-2025e index targets imply 5-7% upside. China 22 August 2025 Equity Research Report China Equity Strategy Equity Strategy A tale of four investment themes China buys China. Since June, Chinese stocks listed both onshore and offshore have been on the rise. We believe abundant liquidity is the key driver, from 1) deposit migrat ...

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - **Industry**: China's Manufacturing Sector - **Key Themes**: Transition driven by domestic consumption shifts, global trade dynamics, and technology innovation [1][2] Core Insights - **Demand Recovery**: Recovery in demand remains uneven and fragile, with weak performance reported in Q2, particularly from April to May due to deteriorating consumer sentiment and tariff-related uncertainties [2][3] - **Bright Spots**: Industrial robots and painting sectors show signs of demand bottoming out, while exports have emerged as a relative bright spot for several companies [2][3] - **Manufacturing Evolution**: China's manufacturing is evolving through differentiation, globalization, localization, and new economies, rather than losing competitiveness [3][4] Company-Specific Insights Skshu (603737 CH) - **Performance**: Retail sales growth remained in single digits due to a high base in Q2 2024, with a full-year target near 10% [13][16] - **New Retail Strategy**: Aims to increase new retail's revenue contribution from 23% to 40% by 2025, targeting 15% market penetration in 3-5 years [13][16] - **Profitability Goals**: Long-term profit margin target above 10%, with a focus on reducing expense ratios and increasing gross margins [16][19] Shuanghuan (002472 CH) - **Demand Momentum**: NEV gear sales estimated to grow over 30% YoY in Q2, with strong demand from major clients like Xiaomi and XPeng [11][8] - **Expansion Plans**: Adding capacity in Hungary due to strong local demand, with a focus on maintaining competitive pricing despite cost inflation [4][11] Jack Technology (603337 CH) - **Sales Growth**: Management targets around 20% YoY sales growth in 2025, with strong overseas sales expected to outperform domestic growth [20][24] - **Product Differentiation**: Focus on hardware-software integration and innovative product offerings to compete with Japanese brands [24][25] Weixing (002003 CH) - **Market Challenges**: Domestic demand is weak, particularly in mid-to-high-end apparel accessories, with a cautious outlook for 2025 [29][30] - **Overseas Opportunities**: Gaining share in Adidas and Nike's supply chains, despite overall U.S. consumer sentiment weakening [29][30] Vasen New Building Materials (002372 CH) - **Weak Domestic Demand**: Q2 performance worse than Q1, with shipment volumes declining over 10% YoY [31][33] - **Market Position**: Holds a 20% national market share in China's PPR pipes market, with ambitions to reach 40% over the next decade [33] Yinlun (002126 CH) - **Customer Base**: Serves a diversified customer base across passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and digital energy, with Tesla as the largest customer [37][36] - **Growth Projections**: Targets a CAGR of 20% over the next five years, driven by overseas expansion [37][36] Additional Insights - **Tariff Impact**: The indirect impact of tariffs has led to cautious order behavior among clients, affecting overall demand [2][29] - **Investment Trends**: Companies are increasingly focusing on product innovation and customization to differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape [4][20] - **Market Dynamics**: The global valve market is projected to grow significantly, with Neway aiming for Rmb10 billion in revenue by 2028 [59][62] Conclusion The conference call highlighted the complexities and challenges facing China's manufacturing sector, with a focus on evolving strategies for differentiation and globalization. Companies are navigating a fragile recovery landscape while seeking to capitalize on emerging opportunities both domestically and internationally.

Investment Rating - The report indicates a constructive outlook on China's economic recovery, with institutional investors adding cyclical risks and cutting defensive names during Q1 2025 [4][32]. Core Insights - Institutional investors, including domestic mutual funds and northbound funds, have shown a preference for sectors such as technology, healthcare, and financials, while also responding to trade tensions by increasing allocations to self-sufficient tech names [2][12][25]. - The national team has invested significantly in the AI value chain and new energy sectors, while individual investors remain the largest participants in the A-share market [5][39]. - Southbound fund inflows reached record levels, with estimates suggesting further inflows could total approximately RMB300 billion by the end of 2025 [6][11]. Summary by Sections Trade Tensions and Institutional Actions - Institutional investors took pre-emptive actions in response to trade tensions, increasing their positions in tech self-sufficient names by 1.3 percentage points for domestic mutual funds and 0.8 percentage points for northbound funds during Q1 2025 [12][2]. - Both groups of investors maintained over 20% allocation to "going global" names, indicating a positive long-term outlook despite recent reductions [13][2]. Divergence in Investment Preferences - Domestic mutual funds were more optimistic about food & beverage and healthcare sectors, while northbound funds favored banks with stable asset quality [3][25]. - In the electronics industry, domestic mutual funds focused on supply chain localization, whereas northbound funds preferred computing hardware names [26][25]. Economic Outlook - China's economy showed strong growth in Q1 2025, with a real GDP growth rate of 5.4% and positive retail sales growth [32]. - Both domestic and northbound funds increased exposure to pro-cyclical industries, reflecting confidence in economic recovery [32][33]. National Team and Market Participation - The national team holds RMB4.0 trillion in A-share stocks and RMB1.0 trillion in stock ETFs, accounting for 6.4% of the A-share floatable market cap [39][44]. - Financials dominate the national team's holdings, comprising 85.3% of their portfolio [45][39]. Southbound Fund Flows - Southbound net inflows reached RMB410.5 billion in Q1 2025, with mutual funds contributing approximately 16% and insurance funds about 25% [6][51]. - The report estimates that mutual funds' holdings in HK-listed stocks increased by 26.7% during Q1 2025, reflecting strong market performance [52][53].