Core Insights - The Japanese active equity fund market is experiencing growth, with its share in the public equity fund market at 58.1% as of the end of 2024, despite the rapid rise of passive funds [3][5][4]. Group 1: Market Trends - The Japanese ETF market has grown significantly since 2010, reaching 89.4 trillion yen by the end of 2024, accounting for 38.8% of the public equity fund market [4][5]. - Active equity funds have shown a compound annual growth rate of 5.3% from 2013 to 2024, indicating a sustained increase in their scale [5][3]. - The proportion of passive index funds in the public equity fund market has surged from 8.3% to 32.1% between 2013 and 2024, reflecting a shift in investor preference [4][5]. Group 2: Challenges Facing Active Funds - The active equity fund market faces challenges such as a dominant presence of foreign capital and products, high outsourcing costs, and a decline in the perceived value of local fund managers [3][7][10]. - The profitability of asset management companies is under pressure due to price competition in the passive fund sector and high costs associated with outsourced management in the active fund sector [10][9]. - The demand for Japanese stocks is low, leading to a reliance on foreign investment strategies, which further complicates the landscape for domestic active funds [8][9]. Group 3: Opportunities for Active Funds - There is potential for growth in the active fund market, particularly in emerging markets where active funds have historically outperformed [11]. - Independent asset management firms in Japan are showing superior performance compared to those under financial groups, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics [15][14]. - The focus on alternative investments is becoming a new trend among asset management firms in both Japan and the US, which could enhance the sources of excess returns [3][11]. Group 4: Fee Structures and Market Dynamics - The average management fee for active funds in Japan has decreased to 1.10%, while passive funds average 0.35%, highlighting the competitive pricing environment [24][23]. - The structure of fees in Japan is designed to encourage long-term holding of funds, which places higher demands on the capabilities of active fund managers [23][22]. - The transparency of product management is a significant issue, with many funds not disclosing the names of their managers, which can impact investor trust and fund performance [20][19].

Core Insights - The report investigates the performance of active equity funds, specifically whether they can outperform the broader A-share market, represented by a market capitalization-weighted portfolio of most A-share stocks [11][12] - The analysis reveals that while most active fund portfolios can outperform the market, the excess returns are not statistically significant, with annualized excess returns ranging from 0.216% to 3.05% across various fund sizes [1][2] Fund Performance Analysis - Active funds show a preference for large-cap stocks and high-valuation stocks, with significant positive exposure to high-valuation stocks impacting performance negatively when considering size and value factors [2][3] - Under a three-factor model, all fund portfolios exhibit positive excess returns, ranging from 1.54% to 6.37%, with small and mid-cap funds showing significant excess returns [2][3] - The growth factor demonstrates a high annualized return of 9.91%, with excess returns reaching 10.5% to 12.5%, indicating a strong correlation between short-term earnings growth and future stock returns [3][4] Factor Contributions - The report highlights that aside from the market factor, the value factor has a significant negative contribution, while the growth factor contributes positively to performance [3][4] - In a five-factor model, the market factor contributes between 6.03% and 6.48%, while the value factor contributes negatively between -3.16% and -2.83%, and the growth factor contributes positively between 1.98% and 2.49% [3][4] Fund Composition and Trends - The report notes a structural shift in the composition of active equity funds, with a significant increase in the number of mixed equity funds since 2015, reflecting a change in regulatory requirements [20][21] - The number of active equity funds has grown from 207 at the end of 2008 to 5508 by the end of 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.8% [15][21] - The report also discusses the impact of market conditions on fund performance, noting that the active equity fund's net asset value reached a peak in 2007 and has only recently surpassed that level [22][21]