Core Viewpoint - The performance of nine A-share listed joint-stock banks in the third quarter of 2025 shows a mixed picture, with seven banks experiencing a year-on-year decline in operating income and five banks seeing a drop in net profit. Only Shanghai Pudong Development Bank achieved growth in both metrics [1][2]. Financial Performance - Among the nine banks, only Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Minsheng Bank reported year-on-year growth in operating income, while four banks, including China Merchants Bank and Industrial Bank, saw an increase in net profit [2][3]. - China Merchants Bank led in operating income with CNY 251.42 billion, followed by Industrial Bank and CITIC Bank with CNY 161.23 billion and CNY 156.60 billion, respectively. Zhejiang Commercial Bank ranked last with CNY 48.93 billion [2]. - Minsheng Bank recorded the highest operating income growth rate at 6.74%, while Ping An Bank experienced the most significant decline at -9.78% [2]. Net Profit Analysis - China Merchants Bank maintained the highest net profit at CNY 113.77 billion, with a slight increase of 0.52%. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank saw a notable increase of 10.21% in net profit [3]. - The only bank to achieve growth in both operating income and net profit was Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, which reported a 1.88% increase in operating income [3]. Interest Income and Net Interest Margin - Six banks reported a year-on-year decline in net interest income, with the overall industry facing pressure on net interest margins, although the rate of decline has narrowed [4][6]. - China Merchants Bank led in net interest income with CNY 160.04 billion, showing a 1.74% increase, while Ping An Bank faced the largest decline at -8.25% [5][6]. Asset Quality - The asset quality of the banks showed mixed results, with five banks reporting a decline in non-performing loan (NPL) ratios, while three banks saw an increase [7][9]. - China Merchants Bank maintained the best asset quality with an NPL ratio of 0.94%, while Ping An Bank's NPL ratio was 1.05% [8][9]. Retail and Corporate Loan Trends - The third quarter of 2025 revealed a shift in loan structure, with corporate loans expanding while retail loans showed weakness. Three banks reported negative growth in retail loans [10][12]. - Among the banks, only Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Merchants Bank, and CITIC Bank saw growth in personal loans, while others experienced declines [11][12]. Retail Asset Under Management (AUM) - Several banks reported strong growth in retail AUM, with China Merchants Bank managing CNY 16.60 trillion in retail customer assets, an increase of 11.19% [12][14]. - Shanghai Pudong Development Bank's retail AUM reached CNY 4.62 trillion, reflecting a growth of 19.07% [13].

Core Viewpoint - The banking sector, particularly the joint-stock banks, experienced a notable increase of 2.44% on November 4, with CITIC Bank leading the gains, despite the overall decline in major stock indices [1] Group 1: Market Performance - The Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3960.19, down 0.41%, while the Shenzhen Component Index closed at 13175.22, down 1.71% [1] - CITIC Bank's stock price rose by 3.31% to 8.12, with a trading volume of 907,300 shares and a transaction value of 731 million [1] - Other notable performers included China Merchants Bank, which increased by 2.92% to 43.01, and Industrial Bank, which rose by 2.82% to 21.14 [1] Group 2: Capital Flow - The joint-stock banking sector saw a net inflow of 1.763 billion in main funds, while retail investors experienced a net outflow of 664 million [1] - Specific banks like Shanghai Pudong Development Bank had a main fund net inflow of 413 million, while retail investors saw a net outflow of 251 million [2] - Ping An Bank recorded a main fund net inflow of 294 million, with retail investors also experiencing a net outflow of 165 million [2]

Group 1 - Domestic bank stocks continue to rise, with notable increases in share prices for major banks such as China Merchants Bank (up 2.88% to HKD 51.15), Chongqing Bank (up 2.85% to HKD 8.29), and CITIC Bank (up 2.6% to HKD 7.51) [1] - Morgan Stanley's report indicates that despite a decline in investment income, most Chinese banks reported improvements in net interest income and healthy growth in fee income for Q3 2025 [1] - The report highlights that while state-owned banks face some net interest margin pressure, most joint-stock banks reported a rebound in net interest margins due to lower funding costs and more prudent loan growth and pricing [1] Group 2 - Zhejiang Securities notes that the performance of listed banks in Q1-3 2025 slightly exceeded expectations, with revenue growth remaining stable and profit growth showing a slight increase [2] - The report identifies that the marginal improvement in net interest margin has alleviated revenue pressure, while impairment contributions have increased profit [2] - It is observed that the performance of banks in Q3 has shown resilience, with smaller banks experiencing a greater-than-expected rebound in net interest margins, suggesting a potential market recovery in Q4 [2]

Group 1 - The approval of Zhang Shikun's qualification as the president of the Handan branch of China Minsheng Bank has been granted by the Handan Financial Regulatory Bureau [1] - China Minsheng Bank is required to ensure that the approved personnel comply with relevant regulatory provisions and report their appointment status within three months [1] - The bank must encourage the approved personnel to continuously learn and understand economic and financial laws and regulations, and to maintain a strong awareness of risk compliance [1]

Group 1 - Hong Kong banking stocks experienced an upward trend on November 4, with Luzhou Bank rising over 5% [1] - Chongqing Bank, CITIC Bank, and China Everbright Bank saw increases of nearly 3% [1] - Minsheng Bank and China Merchants Bank both rose by over 2% [1]

Core Viewpoint - Chinese banking stocks in Hong Kong experienced an upward trend, with significant gains observed in several banks [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Luzhou Bank saw an increase of over 5% [1] - Chongqing Bank, CITIC Bank, and China Merchants Bank each rose by more than 2% [1] - Minsheng Bank and China Everbright Bank recorded gains of over 1% [1]

Core Insights - The banking sector in China shows signs of stabilization in operating income after two years of decline, with a slight increase of 0.9% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2023, totaling 4.32 trillion yuan [1] - Net profit for the 42 listed banks in China reached 1.68 trillion yuan in the same period, reflecting a growth of 1.5% compared to the previous year, outpacing revenue growth by 0.6 percentage points [1] - The current low valuation of the banking sector, combined with attractive dividend yields compared to bonds and wealth management products, suggests potential for increased investment in the sector [1] Banking Index Performance - The China Securities Banking Index (399986) rose by 1.14%, with significant gains from constituent stocks such as Shanghai Bank (up 2.48%) and CITIC Bank (up 1.91%) [1] - The Banking ETF Index (512730) also increased by 1.01%, closing at 1.7 yuan [1] Dividend and Market Sentiment - The concentrated dividend distribution period for banks has largely concluded since July, leading to a shift in market sentiment and increased risk appetite among investors [1] - The ongoing dividend distribution from banks remains robust, enhancing the attractiveness of bank stocks as a viable investment option [1] Index Composition - As of October 31, 2025, the top ten weighted stocks in the China Securities Banking Index account for 64.87% of the index, with major players including China Merchants Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China [2]

Core Viewpoint - Minsheng Bank reported a steady growth in its financial performance for the first three quarters of 2025, with a notable increase in both interest and non-interest income [1] Financial Performance - The bank achieved an operating income of 108.51 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 6.74% [1] - The net profit attributable to shareholders reached 28.54 billion yuan [1] Interest Income - Net interest income amounted to 75.51 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 2.40% [1] - Average interest-earning assets stood at 7,108.20 billion yuan, showing a year-on-year growth of 0.73% [1] - The net interest margin was reported at 1.42%, an increase of 2 basis points year-on-year [1] Non-Interest Income - Non-interest income totaled 32.99 billion yuan, marking a significant year-on-year growth of 18.20% [1] - Fee and commission income was 14.39 billion yuan, with a slight increase of 0.70% year-on-year [1] - Other non-interest income saw a substantial increase of 4.98 billion yuan, reflecting a growth rate of 36.55% year-on-year [1]

Core Viewpoint - The report highlights that corporate loans continue to drive the growth of bank credit, significantly outpacing retail loans in the first three quarters of 2025, with state-owned banks showing a notable increase in corporate lending compared to retail lending [1][5][11]. Group 1: State-Owned Banks Performance - Among state-owned banks, Agricultural Bank of China leads in personal loan size at 93,333.07 million yuan, with a growth of 5.89% compared to the end of the previous year [3][5]. - Postal Savings Bank shows a remarkable increase in corporate loans, with a growth rate of 17.91%, while its personal loans grew by only 1.90% [5][7]. - The overall trend indicates that personal loan growth is lagging behind corporate loan growth, with only Agricultural Bank exceeding a 5% increase in personal loans among the major banks [5][11]. Group 2: Joint-Stock Banks Performance - Several joint-stock banks, including Minsheng Bank, Industrial Bank, and Ping An Bank, reported negative growth in retail loans, while their corporate loans continued to grow positively [1][11]. - For instance, Ping An Bank's personal loans decreased by 2.10% to 17,291.92 million yuan, while its corporate loans saw a decline in bad debt rates [11][12]. - In contrast, China Merchants Bank reported a retail loan balance of 36,966.19 million yuan, with a modest growth of 1.43%, but its corporate loans grew significantly [9][13]. Group 3: Retail Asset Under Management (AUM) - Despite the challenges in retail loan growth, several banks reported strong growth in retail AUM. For example, China Merchants Bank's retail AUM reached 16.6 trillion yuan, growing by 11.19% [1][15]. - Shanghai Pudong Development Bank also reported a significant increase in personal financial assets, with a growth of 19.07% to 4.62 trillion yuan [15]. - Management teams from various banks emphasized their commitment to enhancing retail market share, indicating a long-term strategic focus on retail banking despite current market conditions [15][16].

Core Viewpoint - The strong international gold prices and rising global risk aversion are driving the growth of banks' precious metals businesses, with significant year-on-year increases reported in the third-quarter financial results of listed banks. However, the recent fluctuations in gold prices present new challenges for these banking operations [1]. Group 1: Growth in Precious Metals Business - The precious metals business of banks has rapidly expanded due to the sustained rise in gold prices, with smaller banks showing particularly impressive growth. As of the end of September, Nanjing Bank's precious metals business reached 7.201 billion yuan, a staggering increase of 11,914.36% compared to the end of 2024. Hangzhou Bank's precious metals business grew to 1.217 billion yuan, up 1,523.57% from the end of 2024 [2]. - Joint-stock banks also experienced significant growth in their precious metals business. By the end of September, compared to the end of 2024, the precious metals business of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank increased by over 350%, while China CITIC Bank saw an increase of over 200%. Other banks like Zhejiang Commercial Bank, Industrial Bank, China Merchants Bank, and Minsheng Bank all reported growth exceeding 100% [2]. - Major banks maintained steady growth from a high base, with the precious metals business of Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China all increasing by over 10% compared to the end of 2024 [2]. Group 2: Strategic Focus on Precious Metals - The precious metals business combines wealth management and increased intermediary income, potentially becoming a significant factor in banks' intermediary income. Precious metals, especially gold, are seen as irreplaceable in banks' wealth management offerings and are crucial for customer asset allocation [3]. - Analysts note that the demand for gold as a hedge and a store of value is rising among residents. Banks, as key channels for gold bar sales and coin distribution, are well-positioned to meet this demand through the continued popularity of online investment products like account gold and gold accumulation [3]. - The decline in gold jewelry consumption may lead banks to reduce reliance on traditional jewelry sales and instead focus on innovation and promotion of their precious metals business [3]. Group 3: Risk Management Amid Price Volatility - Despite the growth, the high volatility of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, poses challenges for banks. Since October, these metals have entered a period of high volatility, prompting banks to enhance their risk management strategies [4]. - In response to market fluctuations, banks have adjusted trading rules and increased the minimum purchase thresholds for gold accumulation products to a range of 950 to 1,200 yuan, compared to around 500 yuan last year. Additionally, some banks have modified their precious metals wallet services to align with real-time gold price fluctuations [4]. - Looking ahead, institutions expect gold to retain its upward potential, maintaining its importance in asset allocation. The profitability of banks' precious metals business will increasingly depend on their internal capabilities, including the establishment of robust risk management systems to mitigate price volatility risks and the optimization of asset allocation for stable returns [4].