Guotou Securities·2025-11-16 09:35Investment Rating - The report maintains an investment rating of "Outperform the Market - A" [4] Core Viewpoints - The banking sector is experiencing a significant divergence in credit growth, with state-owned banks increasing their share of new credit while smaller banks are seeing a decline [1][2] - The net interest margin for commercial banks has stabilized, with a slight increase observed in shareholding banks [3] - The report emphasizes the importance of increasing bond allocations to drive total asset growth, particularly for state-owned and city commercial banks [2] - The overall asset quality of banks remains stable, but there is a noticeable divergence, with non-listed banks experiencing a rise in non-performing loans [9][20] - The report suggests that the banking sector is currently undervalued, with A-share banks trading at a price-to-book ratio of 0.73 and Hong Kong-listed state-owned banks at 0.55 [10][11] Summary by Sections Section 1: Credit Growth and Market Dynamics - Recent financial data indicates that new RMB loans and social financing are significantly lower than the same period last year, reflecting weak financing demand [1] - The decline in real estate loans and the low credit dependence of light asset industries are impacting the competitive landscape among banks [1] Section 2: Asset Growth and Bond Allocation - State-owned and city commercial banks have shown a notable increase in total asset growth compared to joint-stock banks, attributed to their stronger liability bases and increased bond allocations [2] - The report anticipates a continued trend of credit expansion among banks with strong credit growth potential and increased bond allocations [2] Section 3: Net Interest Margin and Profitability - The net interest margin for commercial banks was reported at 1.42% for the first three quarters of the year, indicating stabilization [3] - The report notes that banks with a higher proportion of credit business and better middle-income advantages are likely to perform better in terms of fundamentals [10] Section 4: Asset Quality and Non-Performing Loans - The non-performing loan ratio for commercial banks was reported at 1.52%, with a slight increase observed [9][20] - State-owned and shareholding banks maintained stable non-performing loan ratios, while city and rural commercial banks experienced a faster increase [9][20] Section 5: Market Valuation and Investment Opportunities - The report highlights that the current valuation of the banking sector is significantly lower than that of banks in major international economies, suggesting potential for valuation recovery [10][11] - The report recommends focusing on state-owned banks, China Merchants Bank, and Ningbo Bank as investment opportunities [12]