Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-10-22 08:30Core Insights - The A-share market is witnessing a rise in bank stocks, with notable increases in shares of banks such as Zhejiang Commercial Bank and Agricultural Bank, which has reached a historical high with a year-to-date increase of nearly 56% [1][5] - Hong Kong bank stocks are also on an upward trend, with Agricultural Bank achieving a 10-day consecutive rise and other banks like China Merchants Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China showing gains [1] - Bank ETFs are experiencing positive performance, with various funds recording increases in value, indicating strong investor interest in the banking sector [1][3] Market Performance - A-share bank index has decreased by 4% since early July, underperforming the CSI 300 index by 19.3 percentage points, while the H-share bank index has slightly increased by 2.2%, lagging behind the Hang Seng index by 5.2 percentage points [5] - The average price-to-book (PB) ratio for A-share banks is 0.71, placing it in the 42.4% percentile over the past three months and 77.7% over the past year, while H-share banks have a PB ratio of 0.5, in the 46% and 73.6% percentiles respectively [5] Investment Trends - There is a growing preference for bank stocks due to their low valuations and high dividend yields, as investors seek safety and stable returns amid rising market risk aversion [5] - Since October 21, a total of 93.14 billion yuan has flowed into 10 bank-themed ETFs, with significant inflows into funds managed by Huabao and E Fund [6][8] - Morgan Stanley anticipates a favorable investment opportunity for domestic bank stocks in the fourth quarter and early next year, supported by upcoming dividend distributions and stable interest rates [10]