Core Viewpoint - Guotou Securities Asset Management Co., Ltd. (Guozheng Zican) has withdrawn its application for a public fund license after waiting for over two years, reflecting a tightening environment for public fund license approvals in the industry [2][3][7]. Group 1: License Application Process - Guozheng Zican submitted its application for public fund management qualifications on July 18, 2023, and received a notice for corrections on July 25, 2023. After submitting additional materials on February 8, 2024, the application was formally accepted, but no further progress was made after receiving initial feedback on March 21, 2024 [3][5]. - Other securities asset management companies, including GF Securities Asset Management and Everbright Securities Asset Management, have also withdrawn their public fund license applications, leaving only Guojin Asset Management in the queue [7]. Group 2: Industry Context - As of the end of the third quarter, a total of three securities firms and eleven securities asset management institutions have been approved for public fund licenses, managing nearly 600 billion yuan in non-monetary fund scale [2]. - The tightening of public fund license approvals is seen as a response to the current industry landscape, where there are 165 fund management companies and asset management institutions with public qualifications, leading to significant competition [8][9]. - The withdrawal of applications indicates a shift towards "rational development and survival of the fittest" in the industry, with larger securities firms leveraging the "one participation, one control, one license" policy for comprehensive business layouts, while smaller firms focus on niche areas like ABS, quantitative, and fixed income [9].

Core Viewpoint - The withdrawal of public fund license applications by Guotou Securities Asset Management (Guozheng Zichan) reflects a tightening regulatory environment and a shift towards rational development and survival of the fittest in the asset management industry [2][4][11]. Group 1: License Withdrawal - Guotou Securities Asset Management has officially withdrawn its application for a public fund license, joining other firms like GF Securities Asset Management and Guangfa Securities Asset Management in this trend [2][9]. - The company had been waiting for over two years for the approval process, which began with its application submission on July 18, 2023, and included several rounds of feedback without significant progress [4][5]. Group 2: Industry Context - As of the end of Q3, there are only three securities firms and eleven securities asset management institutions that have been granted public fund licenses, managing a total of nearly 600 billion yuan in non-monetary fund assets [2]. - The tightening of public fund license approvals is seen as a response to the current industry landscape, where there are 165 fund management companies and qualified asset management institutions, leading to significant competition [10][11]. Group 3: Strategic Shifts - The withdrawal of applications indicates a new phase in the industry characterized by rational development, where larger securities firms can leverage the "one participation, one control, one license" policy for comprehensive business layouts [11]. - Smaller securities firms are encouraged to focus on niche areas such as ABS, quantitative strategies, and fixed income, adopting a specialized and high-quality approach to private asset management [11]. - Some firms are opting for full acquisitions of existing fund companies to enter the public fund business, as seen with Shanghai Securities' acquisition of Xinjiang Qianhai United Fund [11].