Broad Market ETFs: A Magnet for Capital

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  • February 9, 2025

August has come to a close, leaving behind a market atmosphere characterized by continued fluctuations and adjustmentsDespite the turbulent landscape, a surprising trend emerged as stock exchange-traded funds (ETFs) attracted an impressive net inflow exceeding 126 billion yuanNotably, the broad-based ETFs related to the CSI 300, SSE 50, CSI 500, and CSI 1000 witnessed significant net inflows, while ETFs pertaining to sectors like real estate, pharmaceuticals, dividends, and banking were observed to experience major outflows.

On the final trading day of August, a robust performance was recorded across the three major indices, all posting gains with the Shenzhen Composite Index and the ChiNext Index both seeing increases of over 2%. The insurance sector and cloud gaming stocks surged ahead in performance, marking a clear distinction from the declining trends in banking and precious metals sectors

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According to data from Wind, by August 30, a total of 915 stock ETFs, including cross-border ETFs, amassed a management scale of 2.39 trillion yuan.

On that day alone, the stock ETFs noted a remarkable net inflow of 42.2 billion yuanDiving deeper into the segmented categories, broad-based ETFs registered the highest inflow, accumulating 64.53 billion yuan, followed by cross-border ETFs, which had an inflow of 0.65 billionMoreover, the CSI 1000 index-related ETFs stood out on August 30, showcasing a single-day net inflow of 29.52 billion yuanOver the recent five days, the CSI 300-related ETFs attracted over 29.6 billion yuan in inflows, while the CSI 1000 ETFs drew more than 8.3 billion yuan.

An intriguing observation is the consistent inflow into certain ETFs managed by leading fund companiesData indicated that on August 30, the heavyweight CSI 300 ETF from E Fund continued its trend with a net inflow of 650 million yuan, bringing its total asset size to 194.5 billion yuan

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Additionally, E Fund's CSI A50 ETF, CSI 1000 index ETF, H-share ETF, and Gold ETF also saw varying degrees of net inflows.

Other notable movements included the Hua Xia Fund’s SSE 50 ETF (510050), which recorded a net inflow of 850 million yuan, totaling 131.8 billion yuan in sizeThe CSI 1000 ETF (159845) experienced a net inflow of 580 million yuan, reaching 21.7 billion yuan, while the CSI 300 ETF managed by Hua Xia (510330) saw a net inflow of 337 million yuan, totaling 130.7 billion yuan.

As experts weigh in on the outlook for China's A-shares, Zou Hui, General Manager of the Equity Investment Department at Industrial Bank Fund, expressed a cautious yet optimistic stanceHe emphasized that the market is positioned around its bottom, with the conclusion of interim earnings reports and impending interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve compressing the downward space

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However, he indicated that the timing may not yet align with a complete stabilization and rebound, urging patience for confirmation of economic and earnings recovery.

On a more strategic note, Zou pointed out that a balanced approach will be essential as the third quarter concludes, advocating for high-low allocation strategies while also noting potential easing in the absolute leading nature of dividend strategiesIndustry-wise, he recommended focusing on severely undervalued sectors with high valuation appeal, especially those aligned with the growth stories and economic cycles indicated in the interim reports.

Throughout August, the stock ETFs showed an astounding ability to draw capital, netting a total of 126.6 billion yuan despite the broader market trendsThe Shanghai Composite Index recorded a monthly decline of 3.29%, while the Shenzhen Composite Index and the ChiNext Index fell by 4.63% and 6.38% respectively

However, contrary to this overall bearish market sentiment, sectors like oil, coal, media, and banking exhibited relatively robust performancesThis resilience starkly contrasts with the mounting sums flowing into stock ETFs.

When examining the net inflows from August, a multitude of CSI 300 ETFs, SSE 50 ETFs, CSI 500 ETFs, and CSI 1000 ETFs dominated the rankingsE Fund, Hua Tai Pai Rui, and Hua Xia each made headlines with significant capital accumulation; with their CSI 300 ETFs capturing net inflows of 33.7 billion yuan, 25.8 billion yuan, 11.5 billion yuan, and 7.8 billion yuan respectivelyMoreover, the Hua Xia SSE 50 ETF attracted almost 9.3 billion yuan in net inflows, while the Southbound funds also reflected impressive gains in their CSI 500 ETFs, CSI 1000 ETFs, and ChiNext ETFs.

Conversely, a considerable outflow trend was observed in sector ETFs linked to real estate, pharmaceuticals, dividends, and banking, with the Southbound Real Estate ETF seeing a staggering outflow exceeding 4.4 billion yuan

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Additionally, certain CSI 500 ETFs and ChiNext 100 ETFs faced varying degrees of capital withdrawal, highlighting market sentiment's uneven distribution.

Looking ahead, Lei Tao, a fund manager at Debon Fund, anticipates that barring any unexpected shocks, the market is likely to maintain a seesaw dynamic between dividend strategies and growthHe expects a deeper structural differentiation in assets on both sides of this spectrumPresently, growth appears to have the upper hand, with the large-cap market still lingering at relatively low levelsHe remains optimistic that regardless of the shifts between growth and dividend strategies, the overall market is on a gradual upward trajectory.

Guo Jiting, a manager at Nordic Fund, also weighed in on the macroeconomic front, noting a recent strength in the RMB exchange rate, coupled with rising expectations for US interest rate cuts, allowing Chinese monetary policy more breathing room

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