Di Yi Cai Jing·2026-01-05 10:25Core Viewpoint - The insurance sector in A-shares has shown strong performance at the beginning of 2026, with a notable increase in stock prices driven by favorable policies and improved asset-liability management [1][3]. Group 1: Market Performance - On January 5, 2026, the insurance sector recorded a 6.17% increase, leading all A-share sectors [1]. - Five A-share insurance companies saw stock price increases of over 5%, with New China Life Insurance and China Pacific Insurance rising by 8.87% and 7.52%, respectively [1]. - China Ping An also reached its highest price since March 2021, closing at 72.36 yuan per share [1]. Group 2: Policy and Market Drivers - The stock price increase is attributed to a series of supportive policies in 2025, which have enhanced the asset-liability dynamics within the insurance sector [3]. - In December 2025, regulatory changes optimized risk factors for long-term stock holdings by insurance companies, signaling a positive outlook for further market entry [3]. - The insurance industry is currently in the "New Year" period, which is crucial for life insurance liabilities, with over 20% of annual premium income typically generated in January [3]. Group 3: Valuation Insights - Analysts indicate that the P/EV (Price to Embedded Value) ratios for major A-share insurance companies remain low, ranging from 0.68 to 0.99 as of December 31 [4]. - There is an expectation for the valuation of insurance stocks to gradually recover towards 1.0 P/EV in 2026 [4].