Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-08-08 11:54Central Bank and Foreign Exchange Reserves - As of July 2025, China's foreign exchange reserves stood at $32,922 billion, a decrease of $252 billion from June, marking a decline of 0.76% [1] - The central bank has increased its gold reserves for the ninth consecutive month, reaching 7,396 million ounces (approximately 2,300.41 tons), with a month-on-month increase of 6,000 ounces (approximately 1.86 tons) [1] - The gold reserve balance increased by $10 billion to $243.985 billion, accounting for 7.41% of the foreign exchange reserves, up 0.09 percentage points from the previous month [1] Banking Sector Performance - Five banks, including Ningbo Bank and Hangzhou Bank, reported double-digit growth in both operating income and net profit for the first half of 2025 [1] - Ningbo Bank's total assets reached 3.47 trillion yuan, growing by 11.04% year-on-year, while Hangzhou Bank's total assets were 2.24 trillion yuan, up 5.83% [1] - As of June 2025, the total assets of Qilu Bank and Qingdao Bank were in the range of 700 billion to 800 billion yuan, and Changshu Bank's total assets exceeded 400 billion yuan, reaching 401.251 billion yuan [1] Retail Banking Developments - China Merchants Bank's retail assets under management (AUM) surpassed 16 trillion yuan, making it the first joint-stock commercial bank in China to achieve this milestone [2] - The bank's AUM growth accelerated, with the first 5 trillion yuan taking 9 years, the second 5 trillion yuan taking 5 years, and the latest 5 trillion yuan achieved in just over 3 years [2] - The bank's asset custody scale exceeded 24 trillion yuan, and its asset management scale approached 4.5 trillion yuan [2] Corporate Governance Changes - 18 listed banks have announced the cancellation or advancement of the dissolution of their supervisory boards, following a trend initiated by several state-owned banks [4] - This change is attributed to the implementation of the new Company Law in 2024 and regulatory guidance, indicating a shift in corporate governance practices [4] - The supervisory board's functions will be primarily taken over by the audit committee of the board of directors and employee directors, raising the governance standards for companies [4] Credit Card and Asset Management Innovations - China Bank will include litigation fees related to overdue credit card accounts in the billing statements starting September 14, 2025 [3] - The fees will cover various costs such as litigation, arbitration, and legal fees, with a pilot program starting in Shanghai [3] - Gansu Bank has sold non-performing assets to local asset management companies, with the latest sale valued at 14.922 billion yuan, resulting in a projected financial impact of 1.26 billion yuan [3] Insurance Sector Performance - 147 non-listed insurance companies reported a net profit exceeding 29 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, a significant increase from the previous year [4] - The number of loss-making insurance companies decreased from 30 to 21, with notable profits from companies like Taikang Life and Zhongyi Insurance [4] - Taikang Life's net profit surged by 164% year-on-year, reaching a historical high, while Zhongxin Insurance turned a profit after previous losses [4] Dividend Distribution by Major Insurers - Five major listed insurers announced a total cash dividend distribution of 907.89 billion yuan for 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 20.21% [5] - China Insurance and New China Life announced significant cash dividends, with New China Life's total cash dividends for 2024 increasing by 197.6% compared to 2023 [5] Financial Technology Developments - Lexin's Q2 revenue reached 3.59 billion yuan, a 15.6% increase from the previous quarter, with a profit of 670 million yuan, marking a 116.4% year-on-year increase [9] - The company reported improved asset quality, with a decrease in various risk indicators for four consecutive quarters [9] - Yika's subsidiary in Japan achieved significant milestones, including registration for credit card business and compliance with global security standards [10]