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HONG KONG SAR: KGI has released its 2025 Market Outlook, covering regions including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.S., Singapore, and Indonesia. Reflecting on this year, the cooling of inflation and the labor market in the United States has brought the economy to a roughly balanced risk between employment and inflation. With Trump re-entering the White House, his policy propositions are poised to impact global economic development and shape the trend of medium and long-term interest rates. In China, domestic investment confidence remains weak. With the potential risk of the United States significantly increasing tariffs, Chinese exports may be affected. In response, China will introduce relevant measures to address these challenges. Under this backdrop, we recommend the “ACE” strategy for 2025: Alternatives: Gold and cryptocurrencies — assets with lower correlation to traditional stocks and bonds. Credit Selection: Prioritize high-rated bonds, focusing on opportunities in corporate bonds. Elite Stocks: Prefer U.S. and Japanese stocks, maintain a preference for large-cap over small-cap, and pay attention to sector rotation. Kenny Wen, Head of Investment Strategy at KGI, says:  “Regarding asset allocation, based on our assessment of the global economy and geopolitical factors for 2025, investors can consider the ACE strategy: A is for Alternatives, which refers to diversifying into alternative assets to reduce portfolio volatility, with gold being a viable option. C is for Credit Selection, meaning carefully selecting investment-grade bonds to enhance potential income. Lastly, E is for Elite Stocks, where we prefer large-cap stocks, particularly from the U.S. and Japan.” Macro and the U.S. Market Within developed markets, the U.S. economy may slow down more significantly than the current market consensus estimate. In other regions, the recovery in the Eurozone and the UK was weaker than expected, but the trend of year-on-year growth is still improving. It is expected that the overall performance will still lag behind the U.S., but the gap is narrowing. In China, the market is currently focused on whether the Central Economic Work Conference in December can propose effective fiscal “stimulus” policies; otherwise, achieving 5% economic growth in the future remains challenging. In the U.S., the manufacturing recovery has been weak, mainly due to overall weak capital expenditure. On the other hand, for the service sector, has shown unexpectedly strong performance, which has been key to the U.S. economy outperforming other mature markets over the past six months. However, with declining savings rates and increasing financial burdens, credit consumption momentum will weaken, potentially dragging on the U.S. economy in 2025. Trump’s four major policies—tax cuts, increased tariffs, immigration restrictions, and financial deregulation—have an uncertain execution order, which may adversely affect inflation. Starting with restrictions on immigration and the implementation of tariffs, these policies are visible. Therefore, throughout the year, the four policies mentioned above may be announced in the first half, increasing the volatility of financial markets. However, higher economic risk for the United States is still in the second half of the year, and whether there will be improvement in the fourth quarter depends on the policy changes at that time. The U.S. has returned to a roughly balanced dual-risk target of employment and inflation, with core inflation expected to continue declining in 2025. However, Trump’s increased tariffs and anti-immigration policies could lead to a resurgence in goods and services inflation, posing a risk of rising inflation again in 2026. The U.S. has returned to a state of full employment, with the unemployment rate for non-temporary jobs slowly rising, which may negatively affect the consumer spending. In terms of U.S. stock investment, after two consecutive years driven by the AI wave, the overall U.S. stock market is no longer cheap. However, we see opportunities for sector rotation in the future, mainly reflected in estimated earnings improvements, particularly in finance, materials, industrial, and healthcare sectors. From a timing perspective, we believe the positive post-election stance can be maintained in the first quarter, but starting in the second quarter, the risks of Trump’s policies and economic downturn expectations will be reflected; risks will further increase in the second half, with the first half overall better than the second half. As for bond investment, under Republican full control, bond investment may be adversely affected. For example, worsening fiscal deficits will increase bond issuance costs, rising inflation will lead to higher yields on medium- and long-term bonds, and poor fiscal discipline and long-term inflation risks will push up neutral interest rates and bond term premiums. Therefore, medium- and long-term government bonds are less favored in 2025, while some short-term government bonds or high-credit-quality corporate bonds, with relatively higher yields, can provide good interest income. Overall, 2025, with increased inflation risk and potential monetary policy reversal, is not favorable for bond investment. James Chu, Chairman at KGI Securities Investment Advisory, says: “The global economy’s overall growth in 2025 is expected to be similar to that of 2024. Although the U.S. economy is showing a downward trend, it remains relatively strong among developed markets. The biggest variable for economic performance in 2025 remains the implementation of policies following Trump’s return to office; the impact of these policies on the economy might be difficult to assess immediately, but they are certainly unfavorable for inflation. The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by 75-100 basis points, potentially reaching a low of 3.75-4.0% in 2025, with rate hikes possibly resuming in 2026. In terms of investment, after being driven by the AI wave for two consecutive years, U.S. stocks are no longer cheaply valued, but there are opportunities for sector rotation. It is expected that in 2025, the S&P 500 will still see mid to high single-digit profit growth, with annual returns estimated between 6-12%, which is a decline compared to the previous two years. In terms of timing, we believe the first quarter should maintain the current post-election bullish trend. Starting in the second quarter, the market is expected to reflect the risks associated with Trump’s policies and the anticipated economic downturn, which may lead to market volatility. Risks are expected to increase further

HONG KONG SAR: AS Watson announced the grand opening of its 16,800th store worldwide, further consolidating its position as the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, with a portfolio of 12 brands operating across 29 markets. This store was opened in Rotterdam, marking a remarkable milestone in AS Watson’s ongoing expansion and its commitment to delivering a seamless and exceptional O+O (Offline plus Online) customer experience. Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, expressed her excitement at the store opening ceremony, “The opening of our 16,800th store represents more than our growth as a company – it symbolises our commitment to serving the communities worldwide. With every store we open, we create jobs, foster customer relationships, and build lasting trust.” “16,800 is a number with special meaning in Chinese culture. The number 6 symbolises ‘everything goes smoothly’ while 8 represents ‘good fortune’. We embrace the special meaning of this milestone and look forward to a future of lasting success and prosperity, not only for our business growth but also in extending these best wishes for a brighter future for the world during this festive Christmas season,” Malina added. Commitment to Continuous Growth Ed van de Weerd, CEO of AS Watson Benelux, remarked, “We’re honoured that AS Watson’s 16,800th store worldwide opens in vibrant Rotterdam, demonstrating AS Watson’s steadfast commitment to growth in the Benelux region and globally. As the No. 1 health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands, Kruidvat serves its customers with nearly 1,000 O+O stores and over 24,000 passionate colleagues, and has become an integral part of many Dutch people’s lives.” The brand-new store will serve over 11,000 customers every week. As one of the largest Kruidvat stores, it spans over 770 square meters and is designed to enhance O+O shopping experience with clear in-store navigation. The store offers an extensive assortment of over 36,000 products, making it the largest selection among all Kruidvat stores. The newly upgraded Kruidvat app delivers personalised offers and health advice to customers, enabling them to effortlessly manage their shopping lists and track their points balance, ensuring they always get the best deals. Additionally, the app’s streamlined checkout process enhances convenience with click-and-collect options. Looking ahead, AS Watson remains committed to innovation and excellence in customer experience, and will continue its growth journey with the purpose of putting a smile on the customers’ faces today and tomorrow.