2025-12-29 01:04Summary of the Securities Industry Conference Call Industry Overview - The securities industry is expected to continue a slow bull market in 2026, supported by proprietary and brokerage businesses, despite a decline in commission rates from 0.195% at the end of last year to approximately 0.17% by the end of this year [1][5] - The overall valuation of the securities sector has decreased to around 1.4 times, which is at the 30th percentile of the past decade [3][4] Key Points Performance in 2025 - The securities sector underperformed compared to other financial sub-sectors like insurance and banking, despite a significant profit growth of over 60% in the first three quarters, driven mainly by brokerage and proprietary trading [1][4] - Major brokerages such as Dongfang Caifu, CITIC Securities, Guosen Securities, and Galaxy Securities achieved a return on equity (ROE) of approximately 9%-10% [1][4] Focus Areas for 2026 - Investment strategies should focus on the following areas: - Asset Management (AM): Expected to see a positive growth rate in 2025, but the net income growth was only 4% in the first three quarters. The introduction of new public fund commission regulations is anticipated to boost revenue growth in 2026 [2][11] - Investment Banking (IB): Currently at the bottom of the cycle, with a potential recovery as the market improves [9][13] - International Business: High concentration among leading firms like CITIC, CICC, and Huatai, with expected growth in 2026 as these firms leverage their competitive advantages in Hong Kong [2][12] Market Conditions - The A-share IPO market remains tight, with a focus on balancing investment and financing, leading to a smaller number and scale of IPOs. The suspension of IPOs since the end of 2023 continues [1][8] - The Hong Kong IPO and refinancing market has recovered quickly, but the profitability of these activities is not as robust as that of A-share IPOs [10] Future Projections - The overall ROE for the securities industry is projected to be around 7.5% in 2025, with leading firms achieving approximately 10%. The growth in profitability is expected to be modest, reaching around 8% [2][13] - The proprietary trading business is shifting towards OCI accounts, which may enhance the stability of the profit statement but reduce its elasticity [6] Additional Insights - The focus on investment banking, asset management, and international business is crucial due to their potential for growth and improvement in market conditions [7][9] - The concentration of international business among a few leading firms indicates a strong competitive barrier, which may benefit these firms in the long run [12][14]