Zhong Guo Ji Jin Bao·2025-10-12 23:35Core Viewpoint - The recent trend of banks redeeming "perpetual bonds" is driven by historically low market interest rates, prompting banks to replace older, higher-rate bonds with new, lower-rate issues [1][3]. Redemption Scale - As of October 11, 2023, banks have redeemed a total of 80 "perpetual bonds" this year, with the redemption amount exceeding 1 trillion yuan, reaching 1,009.58 billion yuan, which is close to the total redemption scale of the previous year [2][3]. - Notable redemptions include China Bank redeeming a 600 billion yuan bond and Everbright Bank redeeming a 400 billion yuan bond, both issued in 2020 [2]. Interest Rate Comparison - The bonds being redeemed were generally issued in 2020 with interest rates ranging from 4.2% to 5.4%, while newly issued bonds this year have interest rates between 1.88% and 2.90% [3]. Market Dynamics - The redemption of older bonds is interpreted as a sign of banks' operational stability and liquidity, which can enhance market reputation and investor confidence [3]. - The trend of "redeeming old for new" is not uniform across all banks; some smaller banks are opting not to redeem due to capital adequacy concerns [4][5]. Differentiation in Redemption - Smaller banks, particularly those with weaker asset quality and profitability, are less likely to redeem bonds, as doing so could negatively impact their capital adequacy ratios [4]. - Despite this, over 30 regional small and medium-sized banks have actively issued "perpetual bonds" since the second quarter, totaling over 100 billion yuan [4][5]. Future Outlook - The issuance trend of "perpetual bonds" is expected to diverge, with larger and more reputable banks likely to continue taking advantage of lower interest rates, while smaller banks may face increased challenges in issuing new bonds [5].