Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for the insurance sector, expecting a robust growth in premiums for listed insurance companies in 2025 [1][4]. Core Insights - The insurance index decreased by 4.04%, underperforming the market by 3.42 percentage points, with mixed performances among individual stocks [1]. - The China Insurance Association indicated that the current standard interest rate for ordinary life insurance is 1.89% [2]. - China Taiping announced a significant profit increase for 2025, projecting a rise of approximately 215% to 225% compared to 2024, driven by improved net investment income and favorable tax policies [2]. - The health insurance sector has seen an average compound annual growth rate of over 20% in the past decade [2]. - Agricultural insurance premiums in China have surpassed 155 billion yuan, with nearly 80% coming from government subsidies [2]. Summary by Sections Premium Growth Projections - In 2025, New China Life is expected to achieve premiums of 195.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.9%, with a "front-high and back-stable" growth pattern anticipated [3]. - China Pacific Insurance is projected to reach total premiums of 461.7 billion yuan, a 4.4% increase year-on-year, with life insurance being the main growth driver [3]. - ZhongAn Online is expected to achieve premiums of 35.6 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 6.7% [3]. Market Dynamics - The report anticipates steady premium growth for listed insurance companies in 2025, primarily driven by life insurance and the expansion of distribution channels [4]. - The property insurance sector is expected to show varied performance, influenced by adjustments in non-auto insurance business [4]. Investment Recommendations - The insurance sector has experienced two weeks of adjustments, mainly due to a slowdown in growth and high valuations [4]. - The report suggests that the performance of listed insurance companies in 2025 will be primarily driven by investment returns, with a favorable outlook for the first half of 2026 [4]. - The report highlights the potential for price-to-earnings value (PEV) ratios to recover, with estimates for major life insurance companies indicating potential increases above 1x [4]. Valuation Metrics - The report provides PEV valuations for major life insurance companies, with China Life at 0.87x, New China Life at 0.86x, and Ping An at 0.77x [4]. - For property insurance, the report lists valuations with China Property at 1.15x and PICC at 1.26x [5].