Soochow Securities·2025-10-14 10:26Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the insurance sector [2] Core Insights - The insurance sector has seen improvements on both asset and liability sides, with valuations and public fund holdings still at low levels. The asset side has been the main driver of the sector's performance in 2024, significantly influenced by the stock market. The fundamentals of the sector are improving, with expectations for steady profit growth in Q3 due to a strong stock market and stable long-term interest rates. The sector's valuation remains attractive compared to historical levels, and the overall new business value (NBV) is expected to maintain a rapid growth rate [2][5][11]. Summary by Sections Historical Performance - Since the listing of insurance stocks in 2007, the insurance index has increased by 165%, outperforming the market by 55%. Notably, in years like 2014, 2017, 2022, and 2024, the sector achieved over 20% excess returns [5][11][12]. Catalysts for Insurance Stock Performance - The three main factors influencing insurance stock performance are stock market trends, long-term interest rates, and liability performance. The correlation between the insurance index and the stock market is strong, with bull markets acting as key catalysts for insurance stock performance. Long-term interest rates significantly impact the insurance companies' profit margins and product sales, while liability performance is assessed through new business premiums and NBV [5][16][19]. Historical Market Trends - The report identifies five significant market trends for the insurance sector since 2014, highlighting the importance of stock market performance, interest rate movements, and liability improvements in driving excess returns. For instance, the 2014-2015 period was characterized by a bull market and high growth in the liability side, while the 2017 period saw a combination of rising interest rates and value transformation leading to significant excess returns [5][42][45]. Current Investment Value - The report indicates that insurance stocks have shown significant excess returns since 2024, with a notable narrowing of the A-H share price gap. Future catalysts for upward price movement in the insurance sector are anticipated [5][11].