Nan Fang Du Shi Bao·2025-04-13 23:15Core Viewpoint - The era of easy profits in retail banking is over, as evidenced by the recent financial reports from listed banks for 2024, showing a decline in retail business performance across most institutions, with only China Merchants Bank reporting a slight increase in revenue [4][5]. Revenue and Profit Summary - China Merchants Bank reported retail revenue of 196.83 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.29%, while other banks experienced declines, with the largest drop being 45.04% for Bohai Bank [5][6]. - In terms of profit, all banks that disclosed data saw a decrease, with China Merchants Bank's profit declining by 9.28%, and Bohai Bank reporting a loss of 2.79 billion yuan [5][6]. Non-Performing Loan (NPL) Ratio Summary - The retail loan NPL ratio increased for most banks, with only Industrial Bank and Zhejiang Commercial Bank showing a decrease. Bohai Bank's NPL ratio surged to 4.15%, marking a significant increase of 1.9 percentage points [2][11]. - The rise in NPL ratios is attributed to external economic pressures, including declining household income and rising unemployment, impacting repayment capabilities [11][12]. Retail AUM Performance - China Merchants Bank led in retail Assets Under Management (AUM) with nearly 15 trillion yuan, significantly outpacing its competitors, and recorded an AUM growth rate of 12.05% [7][8]. - Other banks, such as CITIC Bank, also showed strong AUM growth, reaching 4.69 trillion yuan with a 10.62% increase [8]. Strategic Directions - Banks are shifting their retail strategies, focusing on deepening existing customer relationships rather than solely acquiring new clients. For instance, Industrial Bank emphasizes maximizing the value of existing customers, while others like Ping An Bank are undergoing a challenging retail transformation [15][16]. - The emphasis on wealth management and the transition from traditional deposit-taking to higher-value products is evident, with non-deposit AUM ratios being significantly higher in joint-stock banks compared to state-owned banks [9][10].