券商中国·2025-07-15 15:14Core Viewpoint - China Life Insurance is set to further reduce its stake in Hangzhou Bank, citing "asset allocation needs" as the reason for this decision [1][2]. Group 1: Shareholding Reduction Details - On July 15, Hangzhou Bank announced that China Life intends to reduce its holdings by 50.79 million shares, representing 0.7% of the bank's total shares, through centralized bidding or block trading within the next three months [2]. - This reduction marks the conclusion of China Life's strategic investment in Hangzhou Bank, which began in 2009. The initial investment, along with two subsequent share acquisitions, totaled approximately 1.635 billion yuan. Through three reductions, China Life has realized 3.042 billion yuan in gains, with the current market value of remaining shares estimated at around 860 million yuan, resulting in a net investment return rate exceeding 180% [2][3]. Group 2: Historical Context of Reductions - China Life has previously reduced its stake in Hangzhou Bank three times, totaling 4.8% of its shares. The initial investment was made in 2009, and in 2014, China Life increased its holdings through two agreements, investing approximately 1.635 billion yuan [3]. - The specific reductions include: - In 2021, a reduction of 55.89 million shares at a price range of 14.6 to 15.6 yuan per share, totaling 843 million yuan [4]. - In 2023, a reduction of 119 million shares at a price of 12.05 yuan per share, totaling 1.429 billion yuan [4]. - In 2024, a reduction of 59.30 million shares at a price range of 11.84 to 14.42 yuan per share, totaling 770 million yuan [4]. Group 3: Financial Performance of Hangzhou Bank - Following the latest reduction, China Life will completely exit its position as a shareholder in Hangzhou Bank. As of the announcement date, Hangzhou Bank's stock price was 16.92 yuan per share, reflecting a year-to-date increase of 15.81%. China Life's investment in Hangzhou Bank has yielded an estimated return rate exceeding 180% over 16 years [5]. - Hangzhou Bank has shown significant financial growth since its listing, with net profit increasing 3.3 times from 2016 to 2024, and cash dividends growing 4.4 times during the same period, outperforming the average growth of listed banks [8]. - The bank's net profits for 2022, 2023, and 2024 were 11.679 billion yuan, 14.383 billion yuan, and 16.983 billion yuan, respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 26.11%, 23.15%, and 18.63% [8]. - As of the first quarter of 2025, Hangzhou Bank reported a non-performing loan ratio of 0.76% and a provision coverage ratio exceeding 530%, maintaining a leading position in asset quality within the industry [9]. Group 4: Capital Structure and Market Activity - This reduction coincides with significant capital developments for Hangzhou Bank, including the completion of a major convertible bond conversion, which added 14.994 billion yuan in convertible bonds to the bank's equity, increasing its total share capital from 5.930 billion shares to 7.249 billion shares [10][11]. - The successful conversion of convertible bonds is expected to enhance the bank's core Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio to over 9.7% [11].