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China Investors Are Piling Into Brokerages

China Investors Are Piling Into Brokerages

(Bloomberg) -- China’s stock investors are piling into the nation’s brokerages, made cheap by the worst equity rout in a decade.

Half of the 10 best performers on the CSI 300 Index this year are securities firms. The five-day advance by top gainer Founder Securities Co. handed investors $2.5 billion in market value and left analysts bewildered. The rally has room to continue: a Bloomberg gauge of China-listed brokerages is trading at 1.3 times net asset value, off October’s 0.96 record low but far below its 10-year average of 2.9.

The sector, a key indicator of sentiment in one of the world’s biggest stock markets, is benefiting from speculation that authorities will do more to support growth. There’s also optimism that the planned rollout of a new trading venue for high-tech stocks will help China wrest initial public offerings from Hong Kong or New York.

“People believe policy makers will step up efforts in the new year to avoid the mess the stock market was in, so more policies can be expected to stimulate the market,” said Dai Ming, a Shanghai-based fund manager with Hengsheng Asset Management Co. “A better year for stocks will also mean stronger results for brokers.”

China Investors Are Piling Into Brokerages

The surge is a reprieve after four straight years of declines for the sector. The Bloomberg gauge of brokerages has gained 12 percent in 2019 compared with 2 percent for the Shanghai Composite Index as of Wednesday. Securities firms took a beating last year over concern about their business outlook as stock volume dwindled.

The sector’s reliance on market sentiment is its biggest weakness. Li Bin, a Shanghai-based fund manager at Capital Corise Asset Management Co., said he’d need much more evidence of a rebound.

“I wouldn’t engage in trading of broker shares at this point. It won’t last long,” Li said by phone. “A turnaround in their businesses will only happen if we see a bull market.”

A bull market may be far away as trade tensions with the U.S. hurt economic growth and heightened financial scrutiny eats into company profits. Chinese stocks entered bear-market territory in 2018.

China Investors Are Piling Into Brokerages

A sustainable rebound may happen when China begins operating its so-called high-tech stocks board, according to Kaiyuan Securities Co. and Capital Securities Corp. Plans for the venue, unveiled by President Xi Jinping in November, include making it easier for technology firms to access funding.

“China’s been preparing intensely for the start of the board on all fronts, and it’s something it must succeed on,” said Yang Hai, an analyst with Kaiyuan. “New listings on the tech board will benefit brokers’ investment banking business materially.”

Regulatory support for big brokers to merge and acquire smaller peers will also boost the sector, said Hengsheng’s Dai. Citic Securities Co. signed a preliminary agreement to buy smaller rival Guangzhou Securities Co. in December, and a few days later Founder announced plans to integrate China Minzu Securities Co. into its operations.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Amanda Wang in Shanghai at twang234@bloomberg.net;Mengchen Lu in Shanghai at mlu157@bloomberg.net;Amy Li in Shanghai at yli677@bloomberg.net;Evelyn Yu in Shanghai at yyu263@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Richard Frost at rfrost4@bloomberg.net, ;Jessica Zhou at jzhou75@bloomberg.net, ;Sam Mamudi at smamudi@bloomberg.net, Jeanette Rodrigues, Magdalene Fung

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Bloomberg