Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-08-28 05:17Core Viewpoint - CITIC Bank's president predicts that the decline in the banking industry's net interest margin (NIM) will gradually slow down, despite ongoing pressures from a low-interest-rate environment [1]. Group 1: Industry Insights - The banking industry is experiencing downward pressure on net interest margins due to the expiration of high-yield assets and low asset prices [1]. - Government policies aimed at regulating orderly competition in the banking sector are expected to help banks leverage financial support for the real economy while maintaining healthy development [1]. - The central bank's symmetric interest rate cuts are enhancing the transmission effect of monetary policy, which will help banks reduce liability costs further [1]. Group 2: Company Strategy - CITIC Bank aims to optimize its asset-liability structure and enhance settlement capabilities while maintaining a stable NIM [1]. - The bank plans to support credit issuance actively, aiming to keep the bill discounting scale low to improve NIM throughout the year [1]. - CITIC Bank will adhere to a balanced development principle for deposits, optimizing the deposit structure while controlling resource-based deposit scales [1]. Group 3: Financial Performance - In the first half of the year, CITIC Bank's net interest margin was 1.63%, a year-on-year decrease of 14 basis points, with a 2 basis point decline from the first quarter, indicating a slowing rate of decline [2].