银行业零售资产业务：特征剖析与应对之策｜银行与保险

Core Viewpoint - The retail asset business of commercial banks in China is currently underperforming, which is seen as a temporary phenomenon. Strategies are suggested to better understand the business logic of retail assets and to focus on risk management models that emphasize the primary repayment source [1][14]. Summary by Sections Performance of Retail Asset Business - The retail asset business, which includes housing mortgage loans, personal consumption loans, personal business loans, and credit card services, is facing significant pressure in 2024, characterized by a slowdown in personal loan growth, declining yields, and rising non-performing loan (NPL) ratios. The growth rate of personal loans dropped from over 10% before 2021 to 4.89% in 2022 and further to 3.69% in 2024. The average NPL ratio for personal loans increased from below 1% before 2021 to 1.10% in 2022 and 1.51% in 2024, marking a rise of over 65% compared to 2021 [2][3][5]. Characteristics of Retail Asset Business - Retail asset business is characterized by light capital attributes, risk diversification advantages, and weak cyclical features. The light capital nature is reinforced by new regulations effective from 2024, which lower risk weights for various types of retail loans. The risk diversification is due to the broad customer base, minimizing the impact of individual defaults. The weak cyclical nature allows retail assets to provide stability during economic fluctuations, as evidenced by historical data from the U.S. banking sector [8][9][10]. Underperformance as a Temporary Phenomenon - The underperformance of retail asset business since 2022 is attributed to a supply-demand imbalance in the economy. The real estate market's downturn and weak consumer demand have led to reduced consumer confidence and spending. This imbalance has persisted for over a year, affecting the performance of personal business loans and consumption loans, particularly for small and micro enterprises [13][14][16].