ETF Securities Equity Research: China A-shares, Short term headwinds, but positives in the medium term.
Highlights
Financial conditions in China are tightening as policy makers are attempting to reverse some of the stimulus from last summer.
The ongoing deleveraging process is a headwind for A-share equity performance in the short-term which has a tight correlation to domestic liquidity conditions.
However we see state-owned enterprise reforms and the inclusion of A-shares in global equity indices as two drivers of a potential re-rating of the market in the medium term.
Policy is tightening in China
China has been taking pre-emptive steps since the start of the year to tighten financial conditions. The improvement in both the domestic and external outlook since last year has emboldened policy makers to tackle some of the excesses in the build-up in leverage. Since 2008 China has had the biggest increase in its ratio of debt to gross domestic product of any country. The BIS estimates that ratio jumped from 141 per cent at the start of 2009 to 260 per cent by the end of 2016. As the central bank (PBoC) outlined in its monetary report last December, it is increasingly worried about financial sector stability and unintended asset bubbles.
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The tightening steps since the start of the year include both quantitative as well as qualitative elements: a) hiking short-term interest rates across the interest rate corridor b) slowing the growth of total social finance and c) tightening bank regulations to reign in off-balance sheet lending and especially the shadow banking sector.
The net impact of these actions has been to tighten domestic liquidity. Both money market rates and bond yields have risen sharply since January to multi-year highs. The move up in rates so far has been orderly, with the PBoC limiting dislocations by injecting liquidity when needed, but it is now 20% more costly for companies and households to borrow than at the start of the year.
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The tighter funding conditions have so far had a mixed impact on economic growth. Some indicators such as falling industrial metal prices and an inverted yield curve send a negative signal for futuregrowth prospects. Other indicators such as the latest PMI and retail sales point to a more robust domestic demand picture. Excess capacity in both the industrial and property sectors look less worrying than a few years ago, and external demand still looks strong. As a result, the downside risks to growth are more limited than in the 2015 growth scare. Our own leading indicator signals a moderation in activity but not a sharp slowdown.
Tighter liquidity a negative for short-term equity performance
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Although we do not expect a sharp downturn in growth, tighter financial conditions have never been a good backdrop for on-shore domestic equities. A-shares are tightly correlated to domestic liquidity as up to 80% of turnover is generated by retail investors. In previous episodes of liquidity tightening A-shares have underperformed both H-shares and other emerging markets, and so far it has not been different this time. A-Shares have been among the worst performing emerging market year-t0-date, down –1% in local currency versus up +11% for H-shares and +12% for the MSCI EM.
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Since mid-March the onshore equity market has seen reduced account openings, lower trading volumes and a reduction in leveraged margin trading. Without a looser policy stance, there are few triggers for A-shares to outperform in the short-term. Valuations are not particularly cheap at 14x forward P/E versus a 5yr average of 13x. Neither are relative valuations to H-shares particularly compelling at the moment trading roughly in-line with the 5-year average.
SOEs reforms and index inclusion are medium-term positives
Despite the short-term headwinds, we think A-share multiples could re-rate to a higher sustained P/E in the medium term for two reasons.
First, we are starting to see signs that state-owned enterprises are becoming more share-holder friendly. The state agency tasked with regulating SOEs (SASAC) issued guidelines last year for SOEs to increase transparency and improve corporate governance. One of the largest state-owned coal companies came out with an unexpected special dividend shortly after the announcement and the expectation is that we could see more SOEs follow suit. We have also seen recent reforms to rationalise capacity in SOE dominated sectors, particularly commodities, where there have been significant plant closures in steel, coal and cement since 2015.
Second, we think the potential inclusion of A-shares in global equity benchmarks is another medium-term driver. There has been ongoing discussions to include on-shore companies in benchmarks available to foreign investors over the years. These discussions have accelerated recently as Chinese authorities have improved foreign access to capital markets over the last two years. We could get a decision by MSCI in mid-June and the resulting inclusion (if any) could begin in June 2018.
Conclusion
The PBoC is taking welcome steps to reign in some of the excessive credit growth since the great financial crisis. Although these steps are a short-term headwind for A-share performance, they should help financial stability in the medium-term. We continue to think that with further capital account liberalisation and SOE reforms, A-shares represent an interesting opportunity over the medium-term.
For more information contact:
ETF Securities Research team ETF Securities (UK) Limited T +44 (0) 207 448 4336 E info@etfsecurities.com
Important Information
This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).
Franklin MSCI World Catholic Principles UCITSETF USD Capitalisation (FLXA ETF), ISIN IE000AZOUN82, försöker spåra MSCI World Select Catholic Principles ESG Universal och Low Carbon-index. MSCI World Select Catholic Principles ESG Universal och Low Carbon Index spårar stora och medelstora värdepapper från utvecklade länder över hela världen. De utvalda företagen screenas enligt deras koldioxidexponering, deras ESG-profil (miljö, social och styrning) och katolska principer. Som ett resultat är företag som är involverade i vapen, hasardspel, vuxenunderhållning, abort, preventivmedel, stamcellsforskning och djurförsök uteslutna.
Den börshandlade fondens TER (total cost ratio) uppgår till 0,27 % p.a. Franklin MSCI World Catholic Principles UCITSETF USD Capitalization är den enda ETF som följer MSCI World Select Catholic Principles ESG Universal och Low Carbon-index. ETFen replikerar det underliggande indexets prestanda genom fullständig replikering (köper alla indexbeståndsdelar). Utdelningarna i ETFen ackumuleras och återinvesteras.
Franklin MSCI World Catholic Principles UCITSETF USD Capitalization är en liten ETF med tillgångar på 34 miljoner euro under förvaltning. Denna ETF lanserades den 24 april 2024 och har sin hemvist i Irland.
Det betyder att det går att handla andelar i denna ETF genom de flesta svenska banker och Internetmäklare, till exempel DEGIRO, Nordnet, Aktieinvest, SAVR och Avanza.
2024 was a landmark year for bitcoin, solidifying its role as a fully institutionalised asset class.
Institutional inflows into physical bitcoin exchange-traded products (ETPs) reached nearly $35 billion globally, signalling a major shift in how traditional investors view crypto. As bitcoin continued to enhance portfolios’ risk-return profiles, more institutional investors followed suit, reshaping the financial landscape.
Looking ahead, 2025 promises to bring exciting developments across the crypto ecosystem. Here are the top five crypto trends to watch.
Fear of being left behind
The era of bitcoin as a niche investment is over. Institutional adoption is creating a ripple effect, forcing hesitant players to reconsider. Portfolios with bitcoin allocations are consistently outperforming those without, highlighting its growing importance.
Source: Bloomberg, WisdomTree. From 31 December 2013 to 30 November 2024. In USD. Based on daily returns. The 60/40 Global Portfolio is composed of 60% MSCI All Country World and 40% Bloomberg Multiverse. You cannot invest directly in an index. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investment may go down in value.
With bitcoin’s ability to noticeably improve portfolios’ risk-return profiles, asset managers face a clear choice: integrate bitcoin into multi-asset portfolios or risk falling behind in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. In 2025, expect the competition to heat up as clients demand exposure to this powerhouse cryptocurrency.
Expanding crypto investment options
In 2024, regulatory breakthroughs opened the doors for physical bitcoin and ether ETPs in key developed markets. This marked a critical step towards making cryptocurrencies mainstream, providing seamless access to institutional and retail investors alike.
Figure 2: Global physical crypto ETP assets under management (AUM) and 2024 net flows
Source: Bloomberg, WisdomTree. 02 January 2025. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investment may go down in value.
In 2025, this momentum is expected to accelerate as the crypto regulatory environment becomes more friendly in the United States and as key developed markets follow Europe’s lead and approve ETPs for altcoins such as Solana and XRP. With their clear utility and growing adoption, these altcoins are strong candidates for institutional investment vehicles.
This next wave of altcoin ETPs will expand the diversity of crypto investment opportunities and further integrate cryptocurrencies into the global financial system.
The maturing of Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem
Ethereum’s role as the backbone of decentralised finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and Web3 is unmatched, but its scalability challenges remain a hurdle. Layer-2 solutions—technologies such as Arbitrum and Optimism—are transforming Ethereum’s scalability and usability by enabling faster, cheaper transactions.
In 2025, Ethereum’s recent upgrades, such as Proto-Danksharding (introduced in the ‘Dencun’ upgrade), will drive layer-2 adoption even further. Innovations like Visa’s layer-2 payment platform leveraging Ethereum for instant cross-border transactions will underscore the platform’s evolution.
Expect Ethereum’s layer-2 ecosystem to power real-world use cases ranging from tokenized assets to decentralised gaming, positioning it as the infrastructure of a truly scalable digital economy.
Stablecoins: bridging finance and blockchain
Stablecoins are becoming indispensable to the global financial system, offering the stability of traditional assets with the efficiency of blockchain. Platforms such as Ethereum dominate the stablecoin landscape, hosting stablecoin giants Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), which facilitate billions in daily transactions.
Figure 3: Key stablecoin chains
Source: Artemis Terminal, WisdomTree. 05 January 2025. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investment may go down in value.
As we move into 2025, stablecoins will increasingly interact with blockchain ecosystems such as Solana and XRP. Solana’s high-speed, low-cost infrastructure makes it ideal for stablecoin payments and remittances, while XRP Ledger’s focus on cross-border efficiency positions it as a leader in global settlements. With institutional adoption rising and DeFi applications booming, stablecoins will serve as the backbone of a seamless, interconnected financial ecosystem.
Tokenization: redefining ownership and revolutionising finance
Tokenization is set to redefine how we think about ownership and value. By converting tangible assets like real estate, commodities, stocks, and art into digital tokens, tokenization breaks down barriers to entry and creates unprecedented liquidity.
In 2025, tokenization will expand dramatically, empowering investors to own fractions of high-value assets. Platforms such as Paxos Gold and AspenCoin are already showcasing how tokenization can revolutionize markets for gold and luxury real estate. The integration of tokenized assets into DeFi will unlock new financial opportunities, such as using tokenized real estate as collateral for loans. As tokenization matures, it will transform industries ranging from private equity to venture capital, creating a more inclusive and efficient financial system.
For the avoidance of any doubt, tokenization complements crypto by expanding the use cases of blockchain to include real-world applications.
Looking ahead
2025 is set to be a defining year for crypto, as innovation, regulation, and adoption converge. Whether it is bitcoin cementing its position as a portfolio staple, Ethereum scaling for mainstream use, or tokenization unlocking liquidity in untapped markets, the crypto ecosystem is poised for explosive growth. For investors and institutions alike, the opportunities have never been clearer or more compelling.
This material is prepared by WisdomTree and its affiliates and is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of the date of production and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this material are derived from proprietary and non-proprietary sources. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by WisdomTree, nor any affiliate, nor any of their officers, employees or agents. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.
Fidelity Sustainable Research Enhanced Global Equity UCITSETFAcc (FGLR ETF) med ISIN IE00BKSBGV72, är en aktivt förvaltad ETF.
Denna ETF investerar i aktier från utvecklade marknader över hela världen. Värdepapper väljs ut enligt hållbarhet och grundläggande kriterier.
Den börshandlade fondens TER (total cost ratio) uppgår till 0,25 % p.a. Fidelity Sustainable Research Enhanced Global Equity UCITSETFAcc är den enda ETF som följer Fidelity Sustainable Research Enhanced Global Equity-index. ETFen replikerar det underliggande indexets prestanda genom fullständig replikering (köper alla indexbeståndsdelar). Utdelningarna i ETFen ackumuleras och återinvesteras.
Fidelity Sustainable Research Enhanced Global Equity UCITSETFAcc är en liten ETF med tillgångar på 45 miljoner euro under förvaltning. Denna ETF lanserades den 27 maj 2020 och har sin hemvist i Irland.
Investeringsmål
Fonden strävar efter att uppnå långsiktig kapitaltillväxt från en portfölj som huvudsakligen består av aktier i företag med säte globalt.
Det betyder att det går att handla andelar i denna ETF genom de flesta svenska banker och Internetmäklare, till exempel DEGIRO, Nordnet, Aktieinvest, SAVR och Avanza.