

Core Insights - The overall profit growth of listed insurance companies in Q1 2025 shows significant divergence, primarily influenced by base effect differences, while the liability side remains stable. The equity market is identified as a critical factor for performance, with regulatory policies fostering a recovery in market confidence, presenting opportunities in the non-bank sector [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - Q1 2025 net profit on a comparable basis increased by 1.4% year-on-year, with non-annualized ROE slightly declining from 4.2% in Q1 2024 to 4.0% in Q1 2025, which is better than previously pessimistic expectations [1] - The average net assets attributable to shareholders of A-share listed insurance companies remained flat compared to the beginning of the year, with life insurance showing the highest growth at 4.5%, while Xinhua reported a decline of 17.0% [1] - The ratio of other comprehensive income to net profit was -98.0%, with life insurance having the smallest difference at -20.9% [1] - Underwriting profit in Q1 2025 grew by 27.3% year-on-year, mainly due to a low base in the same period last year, with life insurance performing well and property insurance seeing a significant increase in underwriting profit [1] - The average annualized net investment return rate for listed insurance companies in Q1 2025 was 3.08%, slightly down from 3.19% in Q1 2024, while the average annualized total investment return rate was 4.06%, down from 4.08% [1] Group 2: Life Insurance Business - The average NBV growth rate for listed insurance companies in Q1 2025 was approximately 20%, with value rate improvement being the core reason [2] - NBV year-on-year growth rates from high to low were: Xinhua (67.9%), Ping An (34.9%), PICC (31.5%), Taikang (11.3%), and China Life (4.8%) [2] - New single premium growth showed significant divergence, with individual insurance affected by the "opening red" period, while the structure of bank insurance new single premiums improved [2] - The improvement in value rates is attributed to: 1) a reduction in scheduled interest rates leading to a stable decline in overall liability costs; 2) optimization of product and term structures; 3) active cost reduction and efficiency enhancement [2] Group 3: Property Insurance Business - In Q1 2025, listed insurance companies achieved property insurance service revenue of 249.635 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.0%, with a significant decrease in the combined underwriting cost ratio to 95.7%, down 2.8 percentage points [3] - Underwriting profit under the new standards reached 10.653 billion yuan, nearly doubling year-on-year, primarily due to a low base in the previous year and challenges from adverse weather conditions [3] - The total premium income from auto insurance grew by 3.2% year-on-year, with effective cost control contributing to improved underwriting profits [3] - Data from the Ministry of Emergency Management indicated that natural disasters in Q1 2025 primarily involved geological disasters, with direct economic losses of approximately 10.16 billion yuan, significantly lower than 23.76 billion yuan in Q1 2024, leading to improved claims ratios, especially in February [3]