Market Overview - The overall market experienced slight declines, closing around 5-5.1 stars [1] - The CSI 300 index saw a minor increase, while small and mid-cap stocks declined [2] - Value styles, including dividend stocks, showed strength with slight increases [3] - The liquor and consumer indices saw significant gains [4] - Hong Kong stocks performed well, with notable increases [5] - Hong Kong technology and dividend stocks also rose [6] - After recent gains, Hong Kong pharmaceutical stocks returned to normal valuations [7] - Hong Kong technology stocks experienced a pullback, approaching undervaluation [8] Small and Micro-Cap Stocks - Small and micro-cap stocks in A-shares often exhibit significant volatility [11] - In the past two years, three notable waves of volatility were observed: 1. In the second half of 2023, small micro-cap stocks surged, presenting high short-term risks [12] 2. By early 2024, options linked to these stocks faced liquidation, leading to a drop of over 30% in one month [13] 3. In late 2024, small micro-cap stocks rose by 20% while larger indices slightly declined, followed by a 20% drop in December [14] - The volatility of small micro-cap stocks has become more pronounced recently [16] Investment Landscape - The investment landscape for large and mid-cap stocks is increasingly characterized by index fund investments [18] - The CSI 300 has seen significant institutional investment, leading to reduced volatility [20] - The volatility of the CSI 300 is expected to continue decreasing, with a current annual volatility 60-70% higher than that of Western markets [23] - Small micro-cap stocks are primarily traded by retail investors, with increasing quantitative trading participation [25] - The lack of index funds for small micro-cap stocks contributes to their volatility [26] Implications for Investors - Public funds predominantly focus on large and mid-cap stocks, which are becoming more stable and mature [34] - Small micro-cap stocks are less represented in public funds, and investors should be cautious with their allocation [37] - The valuation of small micro-cap indices has returned to levels around 35-40% of the last ten years [39]

Core Viewpoint - The market has shown resilience despite challenges, with significant performance from major banks and small-cap stocks, suggesting a strategic investment approach combining stability and growth potential [3][5][7]. Group 1: Bank Stocks as a Stable Foundation - Bank stocks have proven to be the most stable asset class this year, with the Bank AH Preferred ETF (517900) consistently reaching new historical highs [5]. - The low interest rate environment, with one-year deposit rates entering the "0" era, has made bank stocks attractive due to their dividend yields of 4%-6%, with the Bank AH Index yielding around 6.5% [6]. - Long-term funds, such as insurance and social security, have shown significant interest in bank stocks, with insurance capital making 10 purchases of bank stocks this year and southbound funds net buying over 200 billion in bank stocks in the past year [6]. Group 2: Small-Cap Stocks as Growth Drivers - Small-cap stocks are sensitive to funding and tend to rebound quickly when market sentiment improves, making them effective growth instruments in a low-interest and liquidity-friendly environment [7]. - Government policies are favorable towards small-cap stocks, encouraging technological mergers and acquisitions and supporting innovation in small and medium enterprises [7]. Group 3: Combined Strategy of Banks and Small-Cap Stocks - The combination of bank stocks as a foundation and small-cap stocks for growth captures the benefits of both asset classes, with banks benefiting from high dividend asset revaluation and small-caps benefiting from declining interest rates and policy support [8]. - This strategy has demonstrated strong performance, significantly outperforming the market, with a combination return exceeding 49% and a maximum drawdown of only about 13% [3][8]. Group 4: Advantages of the Selected ETFs - The Bank AH Preferred ETF (517900) uniquely packages high-quality bank stocks from both A and H markets, utilizing a rotation strategy to capture excess returns from valuation differences [9]. - Historical performance shows that since its inception, the Bank AH Total Return Index has increased by 89.81%, outperforming the China Securities Bank Total Return Index, which rose by 62.94% [9]. - The 1000 ETF Enhanced (159680) and the China Securities 2000 Enhanced ETF (159552) have also shown strong performance, with the latter gaining approximately 22.1% this year, significantly outperforming both the CSI 300 and the CSI 2000 Index [9].