Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Changshu Bank, with a projected price-to-book (PB) ratio of 0.74 times for 2025 [11]. Core Insights - Changshu Bank reported a revenue of 6.06 billion yuan for the first half of 2025, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 10.1%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders reached 1.97 billion yuan, up 13.5% year-on-year [4][7]. - The bank's non-performing loan (NPL) ratio remained stable at 0.76%, with a provision coverage ratio of approximately 490% [4][11]. - The bank has adopted a strategy focusing on smaller loans and credit, with 70% of new loans in the first half of 2025 being below 10 million yuan [5][7]. Financial Performance - For the first half of 2025, the bank's net interest income was 4.64 billion yuan, showing a slight increase of 0.8% year-on-year, while non-interest income surged by 57% [7][13]. - The bank's total loans reached 251.47 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 5.2% compared to the previous year [13]. - The bank's cost-to-income ratio improved to 34.56%, down from 36.87% in 2023, indicating better operational efficiency [13]. Dividend Policy - Changshu Bank announced an interim dividend of 0.15 yuan per share, representing a payout ratio of approximately 25.3%, which is an increase from 19.8% in 2024 [7][11]. Loan and Deposit Structure - The bank's loan growth slowed to 5.2% in the second quarter of 2025, with a significant portion of new loans being smaller in size [5][10]. - Deposit growth remained robust at nearly 10%, with an increase in the proportion of demand deposits [5][7]. Asset Quality - The bank's proactive measures in asset management have led to a stable NPL generation rate of 1.05% for the first half of 2025, with significant recoveries from previously written-off loans [11][12]. - The bank's asset quality remains strong, with a focus on managing risks associated with personal business loans [11].
常熟银行(601128):中期分红超预期,结构提“质”更见效