Soochow Securities·2025-10-22 13:24Investment Rating - Maintain "Buy" rating for the insurance sector [1] Core Insights - The individual insurance channel in China has undergone significant transformation over the past 30 years, evolving from a "mass recruitment" strategy to a focus on value-driven growth [2][9] - The current phase emphasizes quality improvement over mere scale expansion, with a notable decline in the number of agents from 912 million in 2019 to 264 million by the end of 2024, a reduction of 71.1% [2][39] - The report highlights the importance of professional, technological, and service upgrades as key directions for the future of the individual insurance channel [2][39] Summary by Sections 1. Individual Insurance as a Pillar Channel - The individual insurance channel is defined as the direct sale of insurance products to consumers through personal agents, which can be categorized into exclusive and independent agents [7][8] - The development of the individual insurance channel began in 1992 with the introduction of the agent system by AIA, marking a shift from group insurance sales to individual marketing [11][14] 2. Development Stages of Individual Insurance Channel - The individual insurance channel has experienced four main stages: 1. Introduction and Initial Phase (1992-2002) 2. Intensified Competition with Bank Insurance (2003-2014) 3. Rapid Expansion Phase (2015-2019) 4. Quality Transformation Phase (2020-Present) [9][10] 3. Current Challenges and Future Directions - The individual insurance channel faces several challenges, including the need for professionalization and technological integration to enhance service quality [2][39] - The report suggests that the future of the individual insurance channel will not rely on a single sales channel but will embrace a multi-channel approach [2][39]