Orient Securities·2025-07-21 01:44Core Insights - The report indicates a shift in the banking sector's focus from fundamental expectations and growth thinking to strategy and trading thinking, highlighting the evolving landscape of investment approaches in the industry [2][29]. Group 1: Regulatory Actions - Three significant regulatory actions have guided the banking industry from "wild growth" to orderly expansion: 1. In 2011, the tightening of city commercial banks' cross-regional expansion and the central bank's credit scale control ended the disorderly expansion of the banking sector [16][20]. 2. The introduction of the MPA assessment in 2016 served as a core regulatory framework, preventing small and medium-sized banks from circumventing regulations and promoting stability [21][23]. 3. The implementation of asset management regulations in 2018 significantly constrained the expansion of non-standard assets in banks, addressing risks associated with shadow banking [24][28]. Group 2: Valuation Framework - A new understanding of the valuation framework for banks is presented, emphasizing the "PB-ROE" model, where banks with higher ROE typically correspond to higher PB ratios. The introduction of dividend yield and payout ratio into this framework suggests that banks with an ROE above 11.7% could justify a PB valuation above 1 [32][33]. - The report notes a shift in the driving logic behind bank stock price increases from growth logic to dividend strategies, indicating a transition in market focus from numerator-driven factors (like ROE) to denominator-driven factors (like dividend yield) [32][33]. Group 3: Historical Performance Review - A comprehensive review of bank stocks from 2008 to 2022 reveals that the banking sector has outperformed the CSI 300 index, achieving nine rounds of excess returns lasting over three months. The core driving factors shifted from growth to dividends over this period [8][29]. - Specific periods of excess returns are highlighted, such as: 1. From November 2008 to July 2009, the sector achieved an absolute return of 139.8% and an excess return of 15.3% [19]. 2. In 2011, despite negative absolute returns, the sector still managed an excess return of 17.6% [19]. 3. The period from October 2014 to December 2014 saw an absolute return of 60% and an excess return of 14.9% [19]. Group 4: Investment Recommendations - The report suggests two main investment themes: 1. Anticipating a reduction in insurance preset interest rates in Q3 2025, it recommends focusing on high-dividend banks such as China Construction Bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank [3]. 2. The strong performance of small and medium-sized banks since the beginning of the year is expected to continue, with recommendations for banks like Industrial Bank, CITIC Bank, and Nanjing Bank based on valuation, dividends, and fundamentals [3].