Recreating the 'DeepSeek moment'? Wall Street unanimously says Kimi K3 instead reinforces demand for computing power
Kimi K3 has once again triggered 'DeepSeek-style' concerns, leading to a decline in the U.S. semiconductor sector, but multiple Wall Street institutions believe that demand for computing power has not weakened.
Pre-Market News Brief for A-Shares (2026-07-21)
Mini Program: Key Pre-Market News for A-Share Investors 1. Shanghai Stock Exchange Sees 25 New Share Repurchase and Management Share Purchase Plans Announced in One Night, with Aggregate Ceiling Amount Exceeding RMB 10 Billion On the evening of July 20, 25 listed companies on the Shanghai Stock Exchange announced new share repurchase or management share purchase plans, with a combined ceiling amount exceeding RMB 10 billion. Specifically, 16 companies unveiled new share repurchase plans, with a total repurchase ceiling of RMB 3.96 billion; nine companies disclosed new management share purchase plans, with a total purchase ceiling of RMB 6.775 billion. In addition to these repurchase and purchase announcements, 16 Shanghai-listed companies submitted positive earnings previews, while 23 Shanghai-listed firms filed multiple favorable disclosures, including announcements of major contract signings and proposals for interim dividends. (Securities Times) 2.
Amid heightened market volatility, divergences are intensifying, with cyclical defensive sectors continuing to outperform.
Track the entire lifecycle of the mainline sector.
Broker Morning Meeting Highlights: Weak off-season demand for baijiu; channel optimization emerges as the key driver of marginal improvement
At today's broker morning meeting, Zhongtai Securities noted that demand for baijiu is relatively weak during the off-season, with channel optimization becoming the key driver of marginal improvement; CITIC Securities observed that the adjustment to the consumption tax on batteries has been implemented, marking a gradual deepening of consumption tax reform; and Huaxi Securities stated that the medium- to long-term tech market rally is not yet over, with performance differentiation and sector rotation expected to dominate in the near term.
Citi: Moutai's second price hike this year brings a positive surprise, and the path of channel reform has become clearer.
Feitian Maotai raised both its ex-factory and direct-sales prices by RMB 100, bringing the direct-sales price close to the market price and precisely targeting arbitrage opportunities in distribution channels. Citi noted that this move significantly exceeded expectations, highlighting Maotai’s ambition to accelerate its shift toward direct sales and its absolute pricing power, and expressed optimism about its potential return of up to 47%.
A battery consumption tax could accelerate industry consolidation, with CATL better positioned to withstand pressure; the impact on passenger vehicles would be limited, while energy storage project returns would be more sensitive.
JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs believe that the battery consumption tax, classified under 'Taxes and Surcharges,' does not affect revenue or gross margin but will have a certain impact on operating profit and net profit. Industry leaders remain broadly resilient, with CATL (03750.HK) exhibiting the strongest resilience due to its high share of overseas revenue, substantial profit buffers, and strong pricing power. Domestic-focused manufacturers with weaker profitability face greater pressure. The impact on passenger vehicle end-markets is limited, but energy storage project returns are more sensitive, potentially accelerating industry consolidation. With China's battery consumption tax now finalized, the competitive landscape of the sector may be reshaped at an accelerated pace. On July 17, China’s Ministry of Finance, General Administration of Customs, and State Taxation
Deep market adjustments have unleashed panic sentiment; attention turns to earnings and new industry catalysts in the technology sector.
Track the entire lifecycle of the mainline sector.
Changxin Technology IPO winning numbers announced | Post-market announcements roundup
Eoptolink: H1 Net Profit Expected to Rise 78%–103%, Driven by Sustained Growth in AI-Related Computing Investment and Product Portfolio Optimization
Weekend News Recap: Philadelphia Semiconductor Index Enters Technical Bear Market; Kweichow Moutai Announces Price Hike
① A UK steel company owned by a Chinese enterprise has been nationalized by the UK government, prompting a statement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ② Meta is reportedly in talks to lease computing power resources to Anthropic, in a deal potentially valued at USD 10 billion over two years. ③ The winning subscription numbers for Changxin Technology have been announced.
Another batch of A-share companies has released positive profit forecasts for the first half of the year, with two already disclosing results under the 'Yi Zhongtian' label.
Several A-share companies have released their 2026 interim earnings forecasts: Eoptolink Technology expects its net profit for the first half of the year to increase by 78%–103% year-on-year, Xiechuang Data forecasts a 247%–340% increase, and Yangjie Technology anticipates a 20%–40% rise.
Driven by dual forces of AI computing demand and product portfolio optimization, Eoptolink expects its first-half net profit to surge by 78%–103% year-over-year | Financial Insights
Eoptolink is expected to report attributable net profit of RMB 7.0–8.0 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 77.56%–102.93%. The growth rate of net profit excluding non-recurring gains and losses is largely in line, underscoring the robust quality of core business growth. Sustained investment in AI computing power and ongoing optimization of product mix are the key drivers, with strong demand for high-speed optical modules enabling the company—as a critical player in the supply chain—to continue benefiting from the sector’s high momentum.
Express News | The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) convened a symposium with major automobile manufacturers, urging them to firmly resist irrational competition and enhance product testing, validation, and safety assessment.
Zhongji InnoLight has passed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's listing hearing, with CICC, GF Securities, and Goldman Sachs acting as joint sponsors.
Zhongji Xuchuang plans to raise approximately USD 7 billion, potentially making it the largest IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2026. Benefiting from the surge in AI computing demand, the company reported a 192.1% year-over-year increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2026 and a net profit growth of approximately 262%. The company holds a significant advantage in silicon photonics products, and the proceeds will be used for R&D, global capacity expansion, and acquisitions.
Target price doubled to RMB 2,581! Goldman Sachs: NVIDIA accelerates demand for 3.2T optical modules, driving a valuation re-rating for Zhongji Xuchuang
Investment enthusiasm in AI infrastructure continues to intensify, and as computing systems evolve toward higher-speed interconnects, the optical module industry is entering a new window of technological upgrade. On July 17, Goldman Sachs released a new research report, significantly raising its 12-month price target for Zhongji Xuchuang from RMB 1,187 to RMB 2,581, while maintaining a "Buy" rating. Concurrently, Goldman Sachs revised upward its net profit forecasts for the company by 65%, 108%, and 119% for 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively. Goldman Sachs believes that NVIDIA's continuous upgrades to its next-generation AI servers are driving data center networks to rapidly transition from 800G to 1.6T, and initial preparations for 3.2
Amid market adjustments, what have private equity firms been researching over the past two weeks?
① Amid a market correction, private equity firms have focused their research on hard-tech sectors, conducting concentrated due diligence on stocks related to the co-packaged optics (CPO) supply chain; ② In the past half-month, both BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. (BOE A) and HC Semitek Corporation received visits from 68 private equity firms each; ③ Multiple private equity firms surveyed Huashengchang, a provider of optical measurement equipment, and Zhongji Xuchuang, a leading optical module manufacturer— the latter clarified market rumors and confirmed robust order demand.
Express News | Zhongji Xuchuang is reportedly nearing approval for a Hong Kong listing, with a potential fundraising size of up to USD 7 billion.
Second-quarter reports from a batch of 'doubled-return funds' are out—have fund managers who were 'standing in the spotlight' started to diverge?
① In the near to medium term, fund managers have begun to show some divergence in their views on the AI computing power sector, with some suggesting the sector could continue to rise in the third quarter; ② other fund managers have noted high levels of crowded positioning and warned of short-term volatility risks; ③ however, consensus remains intact on investing in the AI sector over the medium to long term.
[Data Snapshot] Over RMB 1.5 billion in funds aggressively bought shares of popular PCB stocks, with multiple institutions and foreign investors fiercely competing for Dongshan Precision.
① PCB sector favorite Wus Printed Circuit (Wus Electronics) surged to its daily trading limit, with five institutional investors purchasing RMB 884 million worth of shares and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect buying RMB 639 million. ② Dongshan Precision, a computing hardware concept stock, saw four institutional buyers acquire RMB 557 million worth of shares, while one institution sold RMB 121 million and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect offloaded RMB 326 million.
Year-on-year exports doubled! Integrated circuit and rare earth export values both surged in June.
① China's exports rose by 17.6% year-on-year in the first half of the year, with June exports surging 27.0% year-on-year; ② Integrated circuits, automobiles, ships, and rare earths performed exceptionally well, serving as key drivers of export growth.
Amid significant market volatility, public mutual fund managers remain actively engaged in on-site research visits, with one company receiving as many as 83 such visits in a single week.
① Zhongji Xuchuang was subject to as many as 83 public fund research visits last week, with participating institutions including E Fund Management, China AMC, and several other leading public fund managers; ② Key players in the optical communications industry chain—TFC Photonics—and Shenghong Technology, a key enterprise in the PCB and AI computing sectors, also received research visits from multiple leading public fund managers.