光大银行（601818）：业绩正增，资产质量平稳

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy (Maintain)" [5] Core Views - The company's revenue for 2024 is reported at 135.4 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 7.05%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders is 41.7 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 2.22. The non-performing loan ratio and provision coverage ratio at the end of Q4 2024 are 1.25% and 180.59%, respectively, remaining stable and improving by 9.9 percentage points compared to the previous quarter [1][4] Summary by Sections Performance - The company's revenue growth rate for 2024 is -7.05%, with a marginal improvement compared to the previous quarters. The net profit growth rate is 2.22%, also showing a slight increase from earlier quarters. This improvement is attributed to a stabilization in interest margins, a reduced decline in middle-income, and growth in other non-interest income [2] - Net interest income for 2024 decreased by 10.06%, but the decline is less severe than in previous quarters. The net interest margin for 2024 is 1.54%, remaining stable compared to the first half of 2024. The year-on-year decline in net interest margin is 20 basis points, which is a smaller drop than the previous year [2][3] Asset Quality - The non-performing loan ratio at the end of Q4 2024 is 1.25%, unchanged from the previous quarter. Key forward-looking indicators such as the attention rate and overdue rate have improved, standing at 1.84% and 2.02%, respectively, both down from Q2 2024 [4] - The provision coverage ratio at the end of Q4 2024 is 180.59%, an increase of 9.9 percentage points from the previous quarter. The credit cost for 2024 is 1.07%, a decrease of 37 basis points year-on-year [4] Assets and Liabilities - As of the end of Q4 2024, total assets and loans amount to 6.96 trillion and 3.93 trillion, respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 2.75% and 3.88%. The growth in total assets is primarily driven by a rapid increase in interbank assets [10] - Total deposits at the end of Q4 2024 are 3.96 trillion, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 1.67%, mainly due to a net reduction in corporate demand deposits [10] Investment Recommendations - In the short term, the company faces pressure on revenue due to declining interest margins and poor performance in fees. However, in the medium to long term, a recovery in retail demand and growth in wealth management business are expected to provide better performance elasticity, maintaining the previous "Buy" rating [11]