Core Viewpoint - The strong performance of Chinese insurance stocks is driven by better-than-expected data for the 2026 New Year sales, with leading insurers showing significant growth in new policies [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - China Ping An (02318) increased by 2.85%, reaching HKD 70.45 [1] - China Pacific Insurance (02328) rose by 2.52%, reaching HKD 16.66 [1] - China Life Insurance (02628) gained 2.32%, reaching HKD 32.62 [1] - New China Life Insurance (01336) increased by 2.14%, reaching HKD 62.15 [1] Group 2: Market Drivers - Huaxi Securities reported that leading insurers saw a more than 70% year-on-year increase in new policy sales over the first three days of 2026, supported by a low base from the previous year [1] - The insurance sector is expected to attract part of the funds from savings due to the relative yield advantage of insurance products [1] - Concerns over interest margin losses have eased, gradually eliminating valuation pressures on the sector [1] Group 3: Future Growth Potential - Guojin Securities indicated that the shift of bank insurance is expected to drive high growth in new policies and new business value (NBV) in 2026 [1] - Since 2020, household savings have increased significantly, with new deposits consistently exceeding CNY 10 trillion, including CNY 9.9 trillion in 2021, CNY 16.67 trillion in 2023, and CNY 14.26 trillion in 2024 [1] - A significant portion of these early high-interest deposits is expected to mature in 2026, with two-thirds of 2/3/5-year deposits likely to shift towards insurance investments amid declining deposit rates and a shortage of medium to long-term deposit supply [1]