QILU BANK(SH:601665) Changjiang Securities·2025-09-03 10:43Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" and is maintained [9]. Core Views - The company's revenue growth for the first half of the year is 5.8% year-on-year, with net profit growth of 16.48% and non-recurring net profit growth of 17.1%. The non-performing loan (NPL) ratio decreased to 1.09%, a reduction of 8 basis points from the previous quarter and a significant drop of 10 basis points from the beginning of the year. The provision coverage ratio increased to 343%, up 19 percentage points from the previous quarter and 21 percentage points from the start of the year. The net NPL generation rate fell to 0.31%, achieving the best levels since the company went public [2][6][11]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - The company's total assets grew by 9.0% compared to the beginning of the year, with loans increasing by 10.2%. Corporate loans surged by 15.7%, driven by significant growth in the Shandong economy, with key sectors including government, retail, and manufacturing. Retail loans decreased by 4.4% due to demand factors [11][12]. Interest Income and Margin - The net interest margin for the first half of the year was 1.53%, reflecting a 2 basis point rebound compared to the full year of 2024. The growth in net interest income accelerated to 13.3%, attributed to improved funding costs. Non-interest income, however, saw a decline of 10.7% [11][12]. Asset Quality - The asset quality indicators showed significant improvement, with the NPL ratio dropping to 1.09% and the provision coverage ratio reaching 343%. The NPL generation rate hit a new low of 0.31%, down 32 basis points from the previous year. The corporate NPL ratio continued to decline, while retail NPLs showed some volatility but remained manageable [11][12]. Investment Recommendations - The company maintains strong performance in its interim results, with clear long-term growth potential. The current price-to-book (PB) ratio is 0.69x and the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio is 6.5x, indicating significant undervaluation. The recommendation remains to "Buy" [11][12].