ZHONGTAI SECURITIES·2025-09-03 10:55Investment Rating - The report suggests a positive investment outlook for the insurance sector, particularly focusing on increased allocations to stocks, especially in the banking and communication sectors [4][26]. Core Insights - The insurance funds are increasingly reallocating towards stocks due to a prolonged low-interest-rate environment, with a notable increase in stock investments reaching 8.8% of the total investment balance by the end of Q2 2025, reflecting an 8.9% increase from Q1 2025 [4][18]. - The report highlights that insurance companies are responding to regulatory encouragement for long-term investments, with policies aimed at increasing stock market participation [26][34]. - The absolute return of the insurance heavy stock portfolio was 12.24% year-to-date as of September 2, 2025, although the relative return was -1.88% [5][58]. Summary by Sections Insurance Fund Allocation Trends - As of Q2 2025, insurance funds were present in the top ten shareholders of 638 A-share companies, with a total holding of 604 billion shares valued at 600.7 billion yuan [64][67]. - The top five industries by market value held by insurance funds were banking (301.88 billion), public utilities (44.33 billion), transportation (42.48 billion), communication (35.05 billion), and electric equipment (18.53 billion) [67][71]. Stock Investment Dynamics - The report notes a significant increase in stock allocations, with insurance companies focusing on sectors such as banking, communication, food and beverage, and construction [4][6]. - Key stocks that saw increased holdings include China Life increasing its stake in CITIC Bank and China Telecom, while Ping An and Taiping increased their holdings in Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway [6][8]. Regulatory Environment - The regulatory framework has been adjusted to encourage insurance companies to invest more in equities, with the China Securities Regulatory Commission advocating that large state-owned insurance companies allocate 30% of new premiums to A-shares starting in 2025 [26][34]. - Recent policy changes have reduced the risk factors associated with stock investments for insurance companies, further incentivizing equity investments [26][34]. Market Performance - The report indicates that the equity market experienced volatility due to external factors such as trade tensions, but there has been a rebound in the market, particularly in sectors favored by insurance investments [61][63]. - The performance of major equity indices in Q2 2025 showed that 18 out of 28 industries outperformed the CSI 300 index, with notable gains in defense, communication, and banking sectors [63][67].