


Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" and is maintained [9]. Core Views - The company's profit growth has turned positive, with a notable improvement in asset quality, as indicated by a decrease in the new non-performing loan generation rate to a near historical low [6][11]. - The wealth management income has turned positive this year after several years of adjustments, contributing to the overall revenue recovery [11]. - The company has announced its first interim dividend this year, with a payout ratio of 35%, consistent with the previous year [11]. Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In the first half of the year, the company's revenue growth was -1.7%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders grew by 0.3%. The net interest income increased by 1.6%, but non-interest income decreased by 6.7% [2][6]. - The asset quality shows positive signals, with a non-performing loan ratio of 0.93% at the end of the first half, down 2 basis points from the beginning of the year, and a provision coverage ratio of 411% [2][6]. Loan and Deposit Growth - Total assets increased by 4.2% from the beginning of the year, with loans growing by 3.3%. Retail loans saw a slight increase of 0.9%, while corporate loans rose by 7.9% [11]. - Deposits grew by 3.6%, with demand deposits accounting for 51.0% of total deposits at the end of the first half [11]. Interest Margin and Cost - The net interest margin was 1.88%, a decrease of 10 basis points compared to the previous year. The loan yield dropped to 3.45%, reflecting a shift in loan structure towards lower-yielding corporate and consumer loans [11]. - The deposit cost rate decreased to 1.26%, indicating a strong customer retention and pricing capability [11]. Asset Quality Improvement - The new non-performing loan generation rate for the first half was 0.98%, down 2 basis points from the first quarter, reflecting improvements in both corporate and retail segments [11]. - The retail non-performing loan generation rate decreased to 1.70%, and the credit card non-performing loan generation rate fell to 4.22% [11]. Investment Recommendations - The company is expected to benefit from a restructuring of institutional allocation ratios, with a current A/H share price-to-book ratio of 0.98x/1.00x and a dividend yield of 4.7%/4.6% [11].