PAB(SZ:000001) 券商中国·2025-05-24 02:11Core Viewpoint - Ping An Bank is facing challenges in maintaining net interest margin amid a structural decline, with management emphasizing the need for differentiated development strategies to stabilize performance and improve stock prices [2][3][11]. Group 1: Net Interest Margin - The bank's net interest margin has been under pressure, with the average interest rate on deposits decreasing to 1.81% in Q1 2025, down 41 basis points year-on-year [4]. - Ping An Bank aims to maintain a healthy net interest margin, targeting a stabilization above 1.6% to 1.7% by year-end [5]. - Cost control measures have been implemented, including reducing interest expenses and optimizing operational costs, contributing to a decrease in business and management expenses by 13.2% year-on-year [4]. Group 2: Retail Risk Management - The bank is transitioning its retail strategy from high-risk, high-reward products to a focus on medium-risk, medium-reward offerings, resulting in a reduction of high-risk product scales by nearly 200 billion yuan last year [6][7]. - As of March 2025, the personal loan non-performing ratio was 1.32%, a decrease of 7 basis points from the end of the previous year, indicating improvement in asset quality [6]. - The bank has intensified efforts in asset recovery, writing off 170.65 billion yuan in loans and recovering 94.25 billion yuan in non-performing assets, with 97.3% recovered in cash [6]. Group 3: Revenue and Profitability - In Q1 2025, Ping An Bank reported a revenue of 337.09 billion yuan, down 13.1% year-on-year, and a net profit of 140.96 billion yuan, down 5.6% year-on-year, attributed to market changes and business restructuring [8][9]. - Management is focusing on reducing liability costs, adjusting customer structures, and enhancing asset quality to return to positive growth in revenue and profit [9]. - Recent personnel changes aim to drive reform and stabilize revenue and profit, with new leadership in key positions [10]. Group 4: Stock Price and Valuation - Ping An Bank's stock price has decreased by 51.6% from its peak in 2021, with a current price-to-book ratio of 0.51, indicating a mid-range valuation among peers [11][12]. - Management acknowledges the impact of economic cycles on stock performance and is committed to improving the bank's fundamentals and operational performance to enhance market valuation [12][13]. - The bank has increased its dividend payout for 2024, reflecting a commitment to shareholder returns while maintaining capital adequacy [12].