Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article highlights a significant rebound in trading sentiment, with the Wind Micro Index breaking through previous levels and achieving a one-month return of 9.31% and a year-to-date increase of 74.49% [2][3] - Small-cap stocks, represented by the CSI 2000 and CSI 1000 indices, have shown relatively strong performance in the past month, contrasting with the sluggish response of large-cap indices like the CSI 300 [2][3] Group 2 - The shift in fund preferences is driven by profit-taking in certain tech growth sectors, leading active funds to seek higher elasticity in small-cap stocks as the large-cap market lacks a clear trend [4][6] - Year-end trading characteristics are evident as some trading-oriented funds return to high-elasticity sectors, further propelling small-cap indices upward [5][6] - Policy measures aimed at expanding domestic demand and promoting innovation are more sensitive to small and medium-sized enterprises, making them more responsive to policy changes [6] Group 3 - Quantitative micro-cap strategies have shown an average return of 3.53% over the past month, significantly lagging behind the micro-cap index's over 9% increase, attributed to the different operational mechanisms of indices and quantitative strategies [7] - The recent rise in the micro-cap index is primarily driven by a few highly liquid and elastic stocks, which are difficult to weight heavily in quantitative models due to high trading costs and volatility [7][8] - Quantitative strategies focus on capturing more sustainable style premiums through a multi-factor system, which may exhibit slight delays in exposure during the initial phase of a style shift [7][8] Group 4 - The appeal of quantitative micro-cap strategies lies in their ability to provide exposure to micro-cap style returns while minimizing extreme volatility associated with indices [8][9] - These strategies have a lower correlation with other asset classes, effectively reducing portfolio volatility [9] - The quantitative framework filters out noise from extremely small stocks, focusing on fundamentals and trading quality to stabilize returns [10] - In a market environment favoring small and micro-caps, quantitative strategies offer a relatively controlled way to participate in high-elasticity stocks [11][12]