Chang Jiang Shang Bao·2026-03-15 23:17Core Viewpoint - China Merchants Bank (CMB) plans to fully redeem its preferred shares "Zhaoyin You1" issued in December 2017, amounting to 27.5 billion yuan, on April 15, 2026, as part of its strategy to optimize capital structure and reduce costs in a declining interest rate environment [1][2][3]. Group 1: Preferred Share Redemption - CMB's redemption scale of 27.5 billion yuan ranks second among domestic banks, following Everbright Bank's redemption of 35 billion yuan [2]. - The core logic behind the redemption is to lower financial costs and optimize capital structure, as the preferred share's coupon rate of 4.81% is significantly higher than the average rate of 2.43% for perpetual bonds [3][4]. - By redeeming these preferred shares, CMB is expected to save approximately 1.323 billion yuan annually in fixed dividend payments, enhancing net profit and shareholder returns [3][4]. Group 2: Financial Performance - In 2025, CMB reported total operating income of 337.532 billion yuan, a slight increase of 0.01% year-on-year, and a net profit attributable to shareholders of 150.181 billion yuan, marking a 1.21% increase [1][6]. - The bank's total assets surpassed 13 trillion yuan, reaching 13.07 trillion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 7.56%, marking six consecutive years of asset growth [8]. - CMB maintained a non-performing loan (NPL) ratio of 0.94%, remaining below 1% for five consecutive years, indicating strong asset quality [9]. Group 3: Market Context - The trend of redeeming high-interest preferred shares is becoming common among banks, with nine banks redeeming a total of 111.8 billion yuan in 2025, a record high [5]. - CMB's return on equity (ROE) for 2025 was 13.33%, down 1.05 percentage points year-on-year, reflecting a focus on maintaining high returns for shareholders [3][4].