CITIC Securities: 2026 will be a crucial year for establishing the turning point in the prosperity of the consumer industry

Everyday Economic News AI Express, March 13 — CITIC Securities research report states that the current consumer market is at a critical window of weak recovery and policy expectation negotiations. Based on marginal improvements in macro data and verification from micro high-frequency data, the report predicts 2026 will be a key year for establishing a turning point in the consumer industry’s prosperity. Due to the still relatively weak macro environment, the self-repair of consumer prosperity is expected to take time. In the short term, overall beta opportunities may focus on the possibility of fiscal stimulus policies. The report suggests that consumer investment allocation should adhere to the principle of “staying true while innovating”—building a foundation with high dividends and breaking through with resilient growth consumption: on one side, through policy flexibility and wealth effect transmission in sectors like service consumption; on the other side, by constructing defensive core holdings with high dividend assets, while closely monitoring opportunities in food service supply chains, dairy products, and other sectors as CPI turns positive, leading to increased prices and volumes. Long-term allocation should continue to emphasize changes in consumer structure.