智通财经网·2025-05-14 00:55Core Viewpoint - The report from CITIC Securities indicates that since 2025, the banking sector is stabilizing its asset-liability configuration while actively growing loans and deposits, with a convergence in interbank asset-liability expansion. Although the industry's net interest margin continues to decline, the reduction in funding costs is helping to narrow the margin of decline. The outlook suggests that managing funding costs will be a key focus for banks in the upcoming quarters [1][5][6]. Asset and Liability Management - On the asset side, credit and investment are experiencing high growth, while interbank asset growth is significantly converging. In Q1 2025, the total assets of 42 listed banks increased by 3.9% quarter-on-quarter, consistent with the level in Q1 2024. Both loan and investment asset scales are maintaining high growth, while interbank assets are on a downward trend [2]. - On the liability side, deposit growth is positive, and interbank liability expansion is converging. In Q1 2025, the total liabilities of 42 listed banks increased by 4.2% quarter-on-quarter, slightly higher than the asset expansion rate. The structure shows positive growth in deposits, with a convergence in interbank liabilities [2]. Loan and Deposit Structure - In 2024, the structure of loans and deposits among listed banks shows that the proportion of corporate loans is increasing while retail loans are decreasing. By the end of 2024, the proportion of corporate loans, particularly in government-related sectors, increased to 28.8%, up by 0.6 percentage points from the previous year. Conversely, the proportion of mortgage loans decreased to 18.8%, down by 1.67 percentage points [3]. - On the deposit side, the proportion of retail deposits is increasing, with a continued trend towards term deposits. By the end of 2024, the proportion of retail term deposits rose to 34.7%, an increase of 3.56 percentage points from the previous year, while the proportion of corporate demand deposits decreased to 21.4%, down by 1.94 percentage points [3]. Interest Margin Pricing - The industry’s net interest margin continues to decline. According to data from the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the net interest margin for commercial banks was 1.52% in Q4 2024, a slight decrease of 1 basis point from Q3 2024. In Q1 2025, the net interest margin for 25 banks that disclosed this information decreased by 7 basis points compared to the entire year of 2024 [4]. - The analysis indicates that the asset yield continues to decline while funding costs are significantly reduced. The yield on interest-earning assets was 3.18% in Q4 2024 and 3.04% in Q1 2025, down by 9 and 14 basis points respectively. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 1.83% in Q4 2024 and 1.72% in Q1 2025, down by 7 and 12 basis points respectively, benefiting from improved cost management and the gradual effect of deposit rate reductions [4]. - Although net interest margins for listed banks are generally declining, the rate of decline in Q1 2025 shows a narrowing trend. The average net interest margin for 25 banks decreased by 13 basis points year-on-year, which is better than the decline of 22 basis points in Q1 2024 and 18 basis points for the entire year of 2024 [4]. Future Outlook - The reduction in funding costs remains a crucial direction for managing bank interest margins in the upcoming quarters. Since 2024, factors such as rate reductions and regulatory improvements have significantly impacted the decline in funding costs, with many banks taking the opportunity to strengthen their funding pricing management [5]. - With the completion of concentrated repricing at the beginning of the year, it is expected that interest margins will stabilize further. The pace and extent of future policy interest rate and LPR adjustments will be critical for stabilizing bank interest margins [6].