Market and Performance Overview - Emerging markets advanced 4.7% in Q4 2025, finishing as one of the best-performing global equity asset classes, with the MSCI Emerging Markets Index rising 33.6% for the year, outperforming the MSCI EAFE Index (+31.2%) and the U.S. S&P 500 Index (+17.9%) [2] - Performance in Q4 was led by Korea and Taiwan, with Korean equities soaring 27.3% driven by a 50% gain in the IT sector, while Taiwanese stocks climbed 10.4% due to AI-related momentum [3] Sector Performance - The IT sector gained 16.4%, bolstered by AI-related stocks, while the materials sector advanced 11.6% as gold prices rose over 10% and copper prices hit record highs [6] - Energy, financials, and industrials sectors outperformed the index, while consumer discretionary, communication services, health care, and real estate underperformed [6] Company Highlights - SK Hynix saw its shares soar over 80% in Q4 and nearly tripled for the year due to increased demand for DRAM and NAND memory, particularly for AI workloads [7] - Samsung Electronics also experienced strong performance, benefiting from memory shortages that enhanced pricing power [7] - Taiwan Semiconductor, a leading manufacturer of high-end chips for Nvidia, significantly outperformed the benchmark [7] Regional Contributions - Significant contributors included China's Sieyuan Electric and Korea's HD Hyundai Electric, supporting AI data center buildouts [10] - Capitec Bank in South Africa delivered strong financial results, while Titan, an Indian jewelry retailer, showed encouraging performance despite India's overall underperformance [10] Detractors - Alibaba and Tencent surrendered gains due to a broader rotation out of China, while Contemporary Amperex Technology also faced declines [11] - MercadoLibre remained weak amid competition concerns in Brazil, and Apollo Hospitals detracted due to its large portfolio weight in a lagging Indian market [12] Portfolio Positioning - The strategy added four new positions, including Raia Drogasil and Nu Holdings in Brazil, while exiting positions in B3 S.A. and Proya Cosmetics [13][14][17] - Upgraded exposure in Indonesia by replacing PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia with PT Bank Central Asia, which has a strong deposit franchise [15] Outlook - The emerging market recovery is viewed as being in its early stages, with appealing valuations and supportive macroeconomic drivers [18] - Anticipated increased foreign investments into EM equities, driven by lower valuations and stronger economic growth [19] - The Chinese economy shows signs of increased stability, with improved trade relations and a more optimistic outlook [20] - Emerging markets offer opportunities in world-class companies with technological innovation, particularly in sectors like industrial automation, e-commerce, and fintech [21] - India remains a focus due to its large population and status as the fastest-growing major global economy, despite challenges faced in 2025 [22] Portfolio Highlights - The ClearBridge Emerging Market Strategy outperformed its benchmark in Q4, with gains across five of the nine sectors invested [23] - Stock selection in IT and industrials sectors contributed positively, while communication services and an underweight in materials detracted from performance [24] - Leading contributors included SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Capitec Bank, while Tencent, Alibaba, and MercadoLibre were primary detractors [25]

Market Overview - The Hang Seng Index fell by 0.86%, closing at 27,032.54 points, with a total market turnover of 238.705 billion HKD [1] Southbound Trading Data - Tencent Holdings, Xiaomi Group-W, and Meituan-W saw net purchases of 1.429 billion HKD, 1.020 billion HKD, and 0.985 billion HKD respectively [1][2] - WuXi Biologics, Zijin Mining, and Pop Mart experienced net sales of 0.392 billion HKD, 0.346 billion HKD, and 0.301 billion HKD respectively [1][2] Individual Stock Performance - Tencent Holdings had a trading volume of 12.026 billion HKD, with a net buy of 1.429 billion HKD, closing at 535.50 HKD, down by 2.28% [2] - Xiaomi Group-W recorded a trading volume of 27.46 billion HKD, with a net buy of 1.020 billion HKD, closing at 36.52 HKD, down by 1.56% [2] - Meituan-W had a trading volume of 38.31 billion HKD, with a net buy of 0.985 billion HKD, closing at 84.85 HKD, down by 4.50% [2] - Pop Mart had a trading volume of 21.899 billion HKD, with a net sell of 0.301 billion HKD, closing at 252.20 HKD, down by 1.10% [2] - WuXi Biologics had a trading volume of 6.99 billion HKD, with a net sell of 0.392 billion HKD, closing at 41.34 HKD, down by 0.14% [2] - Zijin Mining had a trading volume of 9.64 billion HKD, with a net sell of 0.346 billion HKD, closing at 45.02 HKD, up by 3.45% [2]

Group 1 - Tencent Holdings had a net buy of 14.29 billion, Xiaomi Group-W 10.2 billion, Meituan-W 9.84 billion, Kingsoft Cloud 1.89 billion, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation 1.38 billion [1] - WuXi Biologics had a net sell of 3.91 billion, Zijin Mining 3.46 billion, and Pop Mart 3.01 billion [1] - Southbound funds have net bought Meituan for three consecutive days, totaling 16.9334 billion Hong Kong dollars, and net bought CNOOC for three consecutive days, totaling 6.8067 billion Hong Kong dollars [3] Group 2 - Xiaomi Group announced the open-source Xiaomi-Robotics-0, a VLA model with 4.7 billion parameters, capable of visual language understanding and high-performance real-time execution [4] - Goldman Sachs predicts Xiaomi will invest approximately 10 billion yuan in AI by 2026, with Kingsoft Cloud being a major beneficiary of Xiaomi's increased investment in AI [4] - Meituan upgraded its New Year's Eve dinner reservation service by introducing a deposit system to secure reservations and VR technology for selecting dining rooms, enhancing the certainty of transactions [4] Group 3 - Long Fiber Optic Cable reports that the optical fiber industry is experiencing a confirmed price increase trend, with demand for G657A2 rising significantly [5] - Following a period of pressure on fiber prices in the first half of last year, prices have been rising due to increased demand and reduced supply of G652D [5] - The domestic market is expected to accept price increases, with major clients likely to confirm price adjustments amid industry fluctuations [6]

Group 1 - The Lunar New Year is identified as a significant release window for the consumer technology sector in China, with potential economic benefits from the new version of DeepSeek [1] - If the new version of DeepSeek achieves a significant reduction in inference costs, AI could become economically viable and be integrated into high-frequency consumer products rather than remaining as standalone chatbots [1] - Tencent Holdings (00700) is expected to benefit the most from the potential new version of DeepSeek, followed by vertical leaders such as Trip.com Group-S (09961), Kuaishou-W (01024), and Beike-W (02423), while Alibaba-W (09988) and Baidu Group-SW (09888) may experience mixed effects [1] Group 2 - Independent model vendors like Zhipu (02513) and MiniMax-WP (00100) have flagship models released or upcoming, with their impact more focused on capability signaling and technology spillover rather than immediate customer acquisition [2] - DeepSeek tends to prioritize open-source development over short-term commercialization, leading to competitive effects that spread through recognition of model quality and validated technological directions [2] - If the upcoming release includes genuine efficiency or systemic breakthroughs, these methods could rapidly diffuse within the ecosystem, raising industry benchmarks and compressing iteration cycles [2] - The positive outlook on Zhipu AI and MiniMax is reaffirmed, with their capability enhancements directly reflected in the API monetization process [2]

Group 1 - The Lunar New Year is identified as a critical release window for the Chinese consumer technology sector, with potential significant impacts from the new version of DeepSeek [1] - If the new DeepSeek version achieves a notable reduction in inference costs, AI could become economically viable for high-frequency consumer products, moving beyond standalone chatbot applications [1] - Tencent Holdings (00700) is expected to benefit the most from the potential new version of DeepSeek, followed by vertical leaders such as Trip.com Group (09961), Kuaishou (01024), and Beike (02423), while Alibaba (09988) and Baidu (09888) may experience mixed effects [1] Group 2 - Independent model vendors like Zhiyun (02513) and MiniMax-WP (00100) have flagship models released or upcoming, with their impact more focused on capability signaling and technology spillover rather than immediate customer acquisition [2] - DeepSeek's preference for open-source over short-term commercialization suggests that its competitive effects will spread through recognition of model quality and validated technological directions [2] - If the upcoming release includes genuine efficiency or systemic breakthroughs, these methods could rapidly disseminate within the ecosystem, raising industry benchmarks and compressing iteration cycles [2] - The positive outlook on Zhiyun AI and MiniMax is reaffirmed, with their capability enhancements most directly reflected in the API monetization process [2]

Core Viewpoint - The recent decline in Hong Kong's tech stocks is attributed to "liquidity shocks," presenting significant value for investment, with recommendations to "buy on dips and hold through the holiday" [3] Group 1: Market Performance - As of February 12, Hong Kong stocks showed a lackluster performance, with major internet companies like Bilibili-W dropping over 4%, Meituan-W and Tencent Holdings falling more than 3%, and Alibaba-W and Kuaishou-W declining over 2% [1] - The Hong Kong Internet ETF (513770) saw a decrease of 2.29%, falling below all moving averages, despite a net inflow of 281 million yuan over the past 10 days [1] Group 2: Investment Strategy - According to China Merchants Securities, the current tech sector in Hong Kong has entered a strategic allocation zone characterized by high win rates and high odds, with three bottom characteristics becoming increasingly clear [3] - Everbright Securities also noted that the tech sector is in an "oversold valuation pit," with funds counter-cyclically buying in, indicating a "golden layout window" for medium to long-term strategic allocation [3] Group 3: Future Outlook - Fund manager Feng Chen of the Hong Kong Internet ETF (513770) anticipates an increase in AI-related companies entering the Hong Kong market, enhancing the ETF's value as a core asset in AI [3] - The ETF tracks the CSI Hong Kong Internet Index, with top holdings including Alibaba-W, Tencent Holdings, Xiaomi Group-W, Kuaishou-W, and Bilibili-W, collectively accounting for over 76% of the portfolio [3]

Core Viewpoint - The recent decline in Hong Kong's tech stocks is attributed to "liquidity shocks," presenting significant value for investment, with recommendations for "buying on dips and holding through the holiday" [3][10]. Group 1: Market Performance - As of February 12, Hong Kong stocks showed a weak performance, with major internet companies like Bilibili-W down over 4%, Meituan-W and Tencent Holdings down over 3%, and Tencent hitting a near six-month low [1][8]. - The Hong Kong Internet ETF (513770) saw a price drop of 2.29%, falling below all moving averages, despite a net inflow of 281 million yuan over the past 10 days [1][8]. Group 2: Investment Recommendations - According to China Merchants Securities, the current market position offers substantial allocation value, suggesting a strategy of "buying on dips" [3][10]. - Everbright Securities indicates that the tech sector has entered a strategic allocation zone characterized by oversold valuations, capital inflows, and improving fundamentals, marking it as a "golden layout window" for medium to long-term investments [3][10]. Group 3: Future Outlook - The fund manager of the Hong Kong Internet ETF, Feng Chen Cheng, anticipates an increase in AI-related companies entering the Hong Kong market, enhancing the ETF's value as a core asset in AI [11]. - The ETF tracks the CSI Hong Kong Internet Index, with its top ten holdings including Alibaba-W, Tencent Holdings, Xiaomi Group-W, Kuaishou-W, and Bilibili-W, collectively accounting for over 76% of the fund [11]. Group 4: Alternative Investment Options - For those looking to reduce volatility while investing in Hong Kong tech, the Hong Kong Large Cap 30 ETF (520560) is recommended, featuring a mix of high-growth tech stocks and stable dividend-paying companies [13].

Group 1 - The Hang Seng Index rose by 0.31% to close at 27,266.38 points, with a total market turnover of 217.218 billion HKD [1] - Tencent Holdings, Zijin Mining International, and Meituan-W saw net inflows of 736 million HKD, 191 million HKD, and 163 million HKD respectively [1] - Alibaba-W, SMIC, and China Life experienced net outflows of 521 million HKD, 391 million HKD, and 246 million HKD respectively [1] Group 2 - Tencent Holdings had a trading volume of 5.165 billion HKD with a closing price of 548.00 HKD, reflecting a decrease of 0.54% [2] - Zijin Mining International recorded a trading volume of 4.594 billion HKD, with a net inflow of 191 million HKD and a closing price of 228.80 HKD, showing an increase of 9.06% [2] - Meituan-W had a trading volume of 12.35 billion HKD, with a net inflow of 163 million HKD and a closing price of 88.85 HKD, reflecting a slight increase of 0.06% [2] - Alibaba-W had a trading volume of 53.08 billion HKD, with a net outflow of 521 million HKD and a closing price of 160.10 HKD, showing a decrease of 0.25% [2] - China Life had a trading volume of 8.79 billion HKD, with a net outflow of 246 million HKD and a closing price of 34.12 HKD, reflecting a decrease of 3.94% [2]

Group 1 - The net inflow of southbound funds reached 4.816 billion HKD, indicating strong investment interest in the Hong Kong market [1] - Tencent Holdings, Zijin Mining International, and Meituan-W were the top three stocks with net inflows, receiving 736 million HKD, 191 million HKD, and 163 million HKD respectively [1] - On the other hand, Alibaba-W, SMIC, and China Life experienced net outflows of 521 million HKD, 391 million HKD, and 246 million HKD respectively [1]

Group 1 - Morgan Stanley maintains a positive outlook on the Chinese stock market, emphasizing the need for more refined stock selection [1] - The preferred sectors during the Lunar New Year period include high-end liquor, quality protein (new dairy products and black-haired cattle), key condiments, gold, and the tourism industry [1] - Historical data indicates that the appreciation of the RMB against the USD will boost returns in the Chinese stock market, with cyclical or growth stocks typically outperforming defensive stocks [1] Group 2 - The top stock picks include Tencent Holdings (00700), Lao Poo Gold (06181), MGM China (02282), TAL Education (TAL.US), Trip.com (09961, TCOM.US), Haitian Flavoring (03288, 603288.SH), Kweichow Moutai (600519.SH), Mengniu Dairy (02319), and Wuliangye (000858.SZ) [1]