Core Viewpoint - The likelihood of a rate cut cycle restarting in September is high following the release of the US August CPI and employment data, with a total of 100 basis points cut since the cycle began in September 2024, and the Federal Reserve has paused rate cuts four times since March this year [1][2]. Market Performance Post Rate Cut - After the restart of the rate cut cycle, the Hong Kong stock market is expected to perform strongly, similar to the US stock market. In non-recession scenarios (1995, 2020, 1998), indices tend to rise, while in recession scenarios (2002, 2008), there may be a further decline for about three months before a recovery [1][4]. - Over the 12 months following a rate cut restart, the best-performing sectors are healthcare (+106.7%), technology (+88.0%), consumer staples (+55.2%), and consumer discretionary (+52.6%). The worst-performing sectors are utilities (+2.3%) and telecommunications (+13.3%) [1][4]. Asset Class Performance - In the 12 months following a rate cut restart, equity markets show significant performance. In non-recession scenarios, the S&P 500 averages a gain of 22.5%, while the Hang Seng Index averages a gain of 35.4%. Commodities like oil and copper also see substantial increases, reflecting pricing in of economic recovery [5][6]. Sector Performance in US Markets - In the US market, the sectors that perform best in the 12 months following a rate cut restart are technology (+47.8%), industrials (+22.9%), consumer discretionary (+22.0%), and materials (+20.2%). In non-recession scenarios, technology's average gain reaches +60.2%. The sectors that perform poorly include utilities (-0.5%), real estate (+3.7%), consumer staples (+5.4%), and telecommunications (+8.6%) [9][11]. Index Style Performance - In the US market, small-cap indices (Russell 2000) tend to outperform large-cap indices (Russell 1000) and the Nasdaq outperforms the Dow Jones Industrial Average, indicating a shift towards smaller-cap stocks following the restart of the rate cut cycle [13][15]. Hong Kong Market Performance - The Hong Kong market is expected to show stronger performance post rate cut restart, with healthcare, technology, consumer staples, and consumer discretionary sectors leading the gains, while utilities and telecommunications lag behind [1][4][19].