Zhong Guo Jing Ying Bao·2025-08-29 19:36Core Viewpoint - The 2025 A-share banking mid-year report reveals significant profit differentiation among banks, with some city commercial banks achieving double-digit profit growth while others face negative growth due to narrowing interest margins and market volatility [1] Group 1: Profit Growth of City Commercial Banks - City commercial banks have emerged as the main contributors to profit growth among listed banks in the first half of 2025, with Hangzhou Bank reporting a net profit of 11.662 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.66% [2] - Factors contributing to the rapid profit growth of city commercial banks include stable asset scale growth, continuous optimization of asset-liability structure, and a recovery in fee and commission income driven by low base and wealth management growth [2][3] - Other city commercial banks such as Jiangyin Bank, Qilu Bank, and Qingdao Bank reported net profit growth rates of 16.63%, 16.48%, and 16.05% respectively [2] Group 2: Challenges Faced by Some Banks - In contrast, some banks like Guiyang Bank experienced negative profit growth, with a net profit of 2.474 billion yuan, a decrease of 7.20% year-on-year, attributed to declining interest income and weaker bond market performance [4] - The differentiation in profit performance among banks is largely due to variations in customer base, financing capabilities, risk preferences, and asset quality [4] Group 3: Interest Income and Margin Trends - The net interest margin for commercial banks narrowed to 1.42% in the first half of 2025, reflecting ongoing pressure on interest margins [7] - Strategies to manage interest margins include increasing the proportion of low-cost deposits and optimizing asset-liability management to improve net interest income [8][9] Group 4: Non-Interest Income and Business Diversification - Expanding non-interest income is seen as a crucial strategy for banks to mitigate the impact of declining interest margins, with a focus on enhancing middle business services such as custody, agency sales, and settlement [9] - Currently, non-interest income accounts for less than 30% of major listed banks in China, which is significantly lower than that of large international banks [9]