Huachuang Securities·2025-08-10 06:01Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommended" rating for the insurance sector, indicating an expectation of the industry index outperforming the benchmark index by more than 5% in the next 3-6 months [20]. Core Insights - The total cash dividends for the five major listed insurance companies in 2024 reached CNY 90.789 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 20.2% [2]. - The report highlights that the dividend growth for listed insurance companies in 2024 varies, with New China Life Insurance showing the highest growth rate at 197%, driven by a 201% increase in net profit attributable to shareholders [3]. - The report notes a general decline in the dividend payout ratio among listed insurance companies in 2024, attributed to the inclusion of significant unrealized gains in net profit, leading to a cautious adjustment of dividend ratios [3]. - The report emphasizes that the investment performance of the insurance sector in 2024 will largely depend on equity market performance and the expected adjustments in interest rates [4]. Summary by Sections Market Performance - The insurance index increased by 0.46% during the week, underperforming the broader market by 0.77 percentage points [1]. - Individual stock performances varied, with AIA up by 3.15% and ZhongAn down by 3.61% [1]. Dividend Policies - The report discusses the dividend policies of listed insurance companies, noting that Ping An and China Pacific Insurance base their dividends on operating profit, excluding short-term investment fluctuations [3]. - The estimated dividend payout ratios for Ping An and China Pacific Insurance are 41.6% and 33%, respectively, based on their operating profits [3]. Valuation Metrics - The report provides price-to-earnings (PE) and price-to-book (PB) ratios for major insurance companies, with China Ping An rated as "Strong Buy" and China Life Insurance, New China Life, and China Property & Casualty rated as "Recommended" [9]. - The report lists the highest dividend yields among A and H shares, with New China Life leading at over 5% [4]. Future Outlook - The report anticipates that the overall performance of the insurance sector in 2024 will be influenced by equity market trends and the growth of new business value (NBV) [4]. - The report suggests that investment strategies may favor Ping An, China Pacific Insurance, and China Property & Casualty due to their stable dividend policies [4].