Core Viewpoints - Investors often ignore potential risks of funds due to blind chasing of high returns, leading to lower returns compared to the funds' performance. This is particularly evident in sector funds, which attract a lot of follow-up capital during market upswings but experience severe drawdowns during downturns, causing investors to sell at low points and miss subsequent rebounds [3][11]. Group 1: High-Risk Fund Characteristics - Funds with higher volatility generally exhibit greater investor return differentials. Over the past five years, sector funds, active stock funds, and actively managed funds with over 70% equity positions had annualized volatility rates of 29.05%, 23.95%, and 23.86%, respectively, while conservative mixed and fixed-income funds had much lower rates of 5.33% and 2.34%. Corresponding annualized investor return differentials for the former were -3.59%, -2.65%, and -2.17%, compared to -0.86% and -0.62% for the latter [3][4][8]. - Funds with highly concentrated holdings tend to have higher volatility and more significant investor return differentials. While concentrated strategies can yield strong returns if the fund manager selects outperforming securities, they also expose investors to substantial losses when market conditions shift rapidly [3][9]. Group 2: Sector Fund Dynamics - Sector funds, due to their focus on specific industries, exhibit more pronounced volatility. For instance, the annualized investor return differentials for medical and consumer sector funds were -7.70% and -5.16%, respectively, reflecting the impact of market conditions and investor behavior during downturns [13][15]. - A case study of the China Europe Medical Health Mixed A fund illustrates the risks associated with sector funds. After a significant rise during the pandemic, the fund experienced a drawdown of over 50% as market conditions changed, leading to a five-year annualized investor return of -17.07%, significantly lagging behind the fund's annualized return of -1.11% [14][15]. Group 3: Recommendations for Investors - Investors should establish a multi-dimensional product evaluation framework, moving beyond a single focus on returns. Understanding one's risk tolerance is crucial to avoid deviating from suitable product categories due to short-term performance temptations. When selecting funds, it is essential to analyze historical volatility characteristics and the underlying investment strategies [10][17].

Core Viewpoint - The report suggests that investors should break free from a single-minded focus on returns, actively avoid short-term timing and emotional decisions, and leverage the power of time to smooth out market fluctuations [2][6]. Summary by Sections Investor Return Gap - The report analyzes the "investor return gap" in the context of the Chinese market, focusing on the difference between fund returns and investor returns as of December 31, 2024, highlighting the impact of timing decisions on final returns [2]. - Investor returns are typically lower than fund returns due to poor timing decisions, leading to a "buy high, sell low" phenomenon [2][3]. Performance of Different Fund Types - As of December 31, 2024, the five-year annualized investor return gaps for higher-risk products like equity-focused funds are -2.17%, -2.65%, and -3.59%, while lower-risk products like conservative mixed funds and fixed-income funds show gaps of -0.86% and -0.62% respectively [3]. - Despite higher fund returns in aggressive equity funds, investor returns lag significantly due to high volatility associated with these products [3][4]. Behavioral Insights - Investors often overlook potential risks due to blind chasing of high returns, leading to lower investor returns compared to fund returns, particularly in sector funds that attract significant follow-on investments during market upswings [4]. - When sectors face downturns, investors may panic and sell at low points, missing out on potential rebounds [4]. Sector-Specific Analysis - The report highlights the investor return gaps in the healthcare and consumer sectors, with five-year annualized gaps of -7.70% and -7.11% for healthcare, and -5.16% and -5.36% for consumer sectors [5]. - The surge in demand during 2020-2021 was followed by a decline in growth, leading to net outflows from these sectors [5]. Recommendations for Investors - Investors are advised to carefully assess their risk tolerance and select funds that align with their risk preferences, emphasizing the importance of a diversified investment portfolio to mitigate risks [5][6]. - The report advocates for a long-term holding strategy, encouraging investors to avoid short-term timing and emotional decisions to enhance long-term asset appreciation [6].

Core Insights - The Chinese public fund industry has experienced explosive growth over the past decade, yet investors often realize lower actual returns compared to the fund's performance due to poor timing decisions [1] - Morningstar's report highlights the disparity between investor returns and fund returns, emphasizing the need for practical advice to help investors improve their returns [1] Investor Return Disparity - As of December 31, 2024, the five-year annualized investor return disparities for higher-risk products like equity-focused funds are -2.17%, -2.65%, and -3.59% for actively managed non-sector stocks and sector funds, respectively [2] - Lower-risk products such as conservative mixed funds and fixed-income funds show smaller investor return disparities of -0.86% and -0.62% [2] - Investors often overlook potential risks of funds due to blind chasing of trends, leading to significant losses during market downturns, particularly in sector funds [2] Recommendations for Investors - Investors should carefully assess their risk tolerance and select funds that align with their risk preferences, have experienced research teams, stable investment strategies, and robust risk controls [3] - A diversified investment portfolio with funds of varying risk-return characteristics can help mitigate risks during market fluctuations [3] - Emphasizing a long-term holding strategy can reduce the impact of poor timing decisions and enhance the potential for long-term asset appreciation [3]

Core Insights - The report highlights the disparity between fund returns and investor returns in the Chinese mutual fund market, emphasizing the impact of timing decisions on investor outcomes [1][2] - It identifies the phenomenon of "investor return gap," primarily caused by poor timing strategies leading to "buy high, sell low" behaviors [1][3] Group 1: Investor Return Gap Analysis - As of December 31, 2024, the five-year annualized investor return gaps for high-risk products like equity-focused funds are -2.17%, -2.65%, and -3.59% for actively managed equity funds and sector funds, while lower-risk products like conservative mixed funds and fixed-income funds show gaps of -0.86% and -0.62% respectively [2] - Despite high returns from actively managed and equity funds over the past five years, investor returns in these categories lag significantly due to high volatility and the tendency of investors to chase performance [2][3] Group 2: Sector-Specific Insights - The report provides examples from the pharmaceutical and consumer sectors, showing five-year annualized investor return gaps of -7.70% and -7.11% for pharmaceutical funds, and -5.16% and -5.36% for consumer funds, highlighting the risks associated with sector-specific investments [3] - The influx of capital into these sectors during periods of high demand led to significant returns, but subsequent downturns resulted in substantial losses for investors who sold at low points [3] Group 3: Recommendations for Investors - The report advises investors to carefully assess their risk tolerance and select funds that align with their risk preferences, emphasizing the importance of a diversified investment portfolio to mitigate risks [4] - It encourages a long-term holding strategy and the avoidance of emotional decision-making, suggesting that investors utilize time to smooth out market fluctuations and reduce the investor return gap [4]