Ping An Securities·2025-04-03 00:42Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the banking sector, indicating a positive outlook compared to the broader market [1]. Core Insights - The report highlights that the net profit of listed banks is expected to grow by 1.8% year-on-year for 2024, with a notable increase in growth rate compared to the first three quarters [4][10]. - Revenue decline is narrowing, with a projected revenue growth rate of -0.6% for 2024, an improvement from -1.6% in the previous quarters [11][14]. - The report emphasizes the importance of domestic economic recovery and the impact of recent growth-stabilizing policies on banking performance [14]. Summary by Sections 1. Profitability Breakdown - The net interest income for listed banks is expected to decline by 2.3% in 2024, an improvement from a 3.2% decline in the first three quarters [11][12]. - Non-interest income, particularly from investment gains, is projected to increase by 28% due to falling bond yields, partially offsetting revenue pressures [11][12]. - The report notes that the cost-to-income ratio has increased to 32.8%, reflecting a 0.5 percentage point rise year-on-year [7]. 2. Operational Analysis - Asset growth for listed banks has decreased to 7.2%, with loan growth at 7.7%, indicating stable overall growth despite a slight decline [22][23]. - The annualized net interest margin is projected to decrease to 1.43%, primarily due to asset pricing pressures [24]. - The report indicates that the quality of assets remains stable, with non-performing loan ratios showing slight fluctuations but overall stability [7][22]. 3. Dividend and Investment Recommendations - The report highlights a stable dividend payout ratio, with 9 banks increasing their dividend rates compared to the previous year [7]. - Investment recommendations focus on "pro-cyclical and high dividend" strategies, with an average dividend yield of 4.3% for the sector, which remains attractive compared to risk-free rates [7][8]. - Specific banks recommended for investment include Chengdu Bank, Suzhou Bank, and Ningbo Bank, which are expected to benefit from regional economic recovery [8][14].