Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Outperform the Market" [7] Core Insights - The importance of bancassurance is highlighted, with China Pacific Insurance (CPIC) showing stable performance in H1 2025, outperforming the market [1] - The report indicates that the non-bank financial sector is experiencing a high-quality development phase, leading to a revaluation of value, with leading companies demonstrating greater resilience [3] - The report emphasizes the steady growth in new insurance policies driven by bancassurance, with a notable increase in new business value (NBV) [5] Summary by Sections Financial Performance - In H1 2025, CPIC reported insurance service revenue of CNY 141.82 billion (YoY +3.5%), net profit attributable to shareholders of CNY 27.89 billion (YoY +11.0%), and operating profit of CNY 19.91 billion (YoY +7.1%) [4] Life Insurance - Bancassurance has driven new policy growth, with new premium income from life insurance reaching CNY 129.09 billion (YoY +6.7%) and NBV at CNY 9.54 billion (YoY +5.6%, comparable basis +32.3%) [5] - The new premium scale from bancassurance has surpassed that of individual insurance, with bancassurance new premium income at CNY 29.04 billion (YoY +95.6%) [5][6] Property Insurance - Property insurance premium income was CNY 112.76 billion (YoY +0.9%), with a combined operating ratio (COR) of 96.3% (YoY -0.8pct) [6] - The report notes a 2.8% increase in auto insurance premium income, with new energy vehicle insurance accounting for 19.8% of the total [6] Investment Performance - The report indicates a decline in the fair value of fixed-income assets, leading to a decrease in investment returns, with net, total, and comprehensive investment returns at 1.7%, 2.3%, and 2.4%, respectively [6] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests that the optimization of business structure will help maintain stable performance in life insurance liabilities for 2025, with leading property insurance companies expected to outperform the industry [6]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Outperform the Market" [7] Core Viewpoints - The report highlights that Xinhua Insurance achieved significant growth in its H1 2025 performance, with a year-on-year increase in life insurance premium income of 22.7% to 121.26 billion yuan and a net profit of 14.8 billion yuan, up 33.5% year-on-year [4] - The proposed interim cash dividend is 0.67 yuan per share, representing a 24.1% increase year-on-year, totaling approximately 2.09 billion yuan, which accounts for 14.1% of the net profit for H1 2025 [4] - The report emphasizes the strong growth in new business value (NBV) and the quality of business, with a notable increase in first-year premiums for long-term insurance [5] Summary by Sections Life Insurance Performance - In H1 2025, the first-year premium for long-term insurance reached 39.62 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 113.1%, with regular premium income at 22.53 billion yuan, up 64.9% [5] - The NBV for H1 2025 was approximately 6.18 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 58.4% [5] - The report indicates that the individual insurance channel is focusing on high-quality development, with a total of 133,000 agents and an average monthly qualified rate of 18.6% [5] Investment Strategy - The investment strategy includes a stable allocation to stocks and funds, with an increase in high-dividend OCI equity investments, achieving a good growth in investment returns [6] - High-dividend OCI equity investments reached 37.47 billion yuan, a 22.3% increase from the beginning of the year, with net investment income of 23.46 billion yuan, up 9.2% year-on-year [6] - The report suggests that the insurance sector has long-term allocation value, especially if the equity market continues to perform well, recommending attention to Xinhua Insurance and China Life [6]

Group 1 - Insurance companies are increasingly active in the secondary market, with notable acquisitions such as China Ping An purchasing shares in China Life and China Pacific Insurance, raising their holdings above 5% [1] - The insurance sector has shown strong performance, with the Wind insurance index rising 18.67% year-to-date, outperforming the banking sector's 16.52% increase [2] - The Huazheng Luhang Insurance Industry Theme Index, which includes Hong Kong-listed insurance companies, has surged 35.95% this year, driven by significant gains in smaller insurance stocks [4] Group 2 - The upward trend in insurance stocks is attributed to several factors, including the cyclical nature of the industry, with premium income benefiting from a recovering capital market [5] - The dividend yield for the Huazheng Insurance Index is currently at 2.86%, with major insurers like New China Life and China Pacific Insurance offering attractive yields [5] - The valuation of major insurance companies remains reasonable, with a TTM P/E ratio of 9.17, which is near historical lows [6] Group 3 - The insurance sector's fundamentals are improving, with a 5.04% year-on-year increase in original insurance premium income for the first half of the year [6] - The total dividends paid by the top five listed insurers reached 907.89 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year growth of over 20% [8] - The recent adjustments in pricing rates for life insurance products are expected to lower liabilities and mitigate risks associated with interest rate spreads [9][10] Group 4 - The insurance industry benefits from a supportive policy environment, with the government encouraging the sector's growth in areas like pension and healthcare [13] - The stability of the insurance market is highlighted by the dominance of leading companies, which contrasts with the volatility seen in sectors like technology and manufacturing [13] - The investment appeal of insurance stocks is enhanced by their high elasticity in a bull market, making them attractive compared to traditional insurance products [14] Group 5 - The upcoming high base effect in earnings may lead to a slowdown in growth rates for insurance companies in the latter half of the year [15] - Companies like New China Life are expected to see significant revenue growth, but the high base from the previous year may dampen future growth expectations [16] - The perception of insurance companies as having a stronger beta attribute compared to brokerage firms may change as earnings growth stabilizes [16]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Outperform the Market" [8] Core Insights - AIA Group's 2025 H1 performance shows a steady increase in new business volume and value, with annualized new premiums reaching USD 4.942 billion, a year-on-year increase of 8% [4] - The new business value (NBV) is approximately USD 2.838 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 14% [4] - The NBV margin (NBVM) stands at 57.7%, up by 3.4 percentage points year-on-year [4] - The embedded value (EV) is about USD 70.853 billion, showing no year-on-year change [4] Summary by Sections Business Performance - AIA's mainland China business shows resilience, with annualized new premiums slightly declining to USD 1.268 billion, and NBV at USD 743 million, a year-on-year decrease of 4% but a 10% increase when excluding economic assumption changes [5] - The Hong Kong business has strong growth, with annualized new premiums increasing to USD 1.609 billion and NBV at USD 1.063 billion, a year-on-year increase of 24% [5] - The NBV margin for Hong Kong reached 65.8%, with local customer NBV growing by 18% and mainland visitor NBV by 30% [5] Channel and Product Analysis - The partner distribution channel continues to grow, with NBV increasing by 8% year-on-year, while bancassurance NBV rose by 10% [6] - Traditional protection, participating, and investment-linked products contribute significantly to NBV, accounting for 89% of the total [6] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests that AIA's stable NBV in mainland China and high growth in visitor NBV reflect ongoing demand for savings among residents [7] - The insurance sector is expected to maintain stable performance due to regulatory guidance aimed at mitigating risks associated with interest rate differentials [7] - The report recommends focusing on companies with more resilient asset sides, such as Xinhua Insurance and China Life [7]

Core Viewpoint - The insurance industry is adjusting its asset allocation strategies in response to a low interest rate environment, focusing on extending bond durations, credit downgrading, increasing equity allocations, and enhancing alternative assets [1][3][4]. Group 1: Asset Allocation Strategies - The overseas insurance industry has made four major adjustments to asset allocation: extending bond durations, credit downgrading, increasing equity allocations, and enhancing alternative assets [3][4]. - Domestic insurance companies are learning from overseas experiences to develop a diversified asset allocation strategy suitable for the domestic market, including increasing high-dividend assets through FVOCI accounts [1][3]. Group 2: Recent Investment Activities - Since August, insurance capital has frequently acquired shares in financial sector listed companies, with notable transactions including China Ping An's purchases of China Pacific Insurance H-shares [2][6]. - Insurance companies have made over 20 acquisitions of listed companies this year, marking the highest number in five years, primarily targeting high-dividend H-shares in the banking and insurance sectors [6]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Challenges - Insurance companies are striving to maintain high investment returns, with China Ping An achieving a comprehensive investment return rate of 5.8% in 2024, up 2.2 percentage points year-on-year [7]. - The average return rate of non-standard assets held by leading insurance companies has decreased from 6% in 2017 to 4.5% currently, indicating pressure to seek higher returns [8]. Group 4: Market Dynamics and Strategic Considerations - The high dividend yield of H-shares in the banking and insurance sectors, around 4%, is attracting insurance capital, especially in a low interest rate and asset scarcity environment [4][9]. - The narrowing AH share premium has prompted insurance capital to accelerate acquisitions to lock in lower holding costs before further declines [12][13]. Group 5: Risk Management and Asset Liability Matching - Insurance companies are using high-dividend stocks to mitigate risks associated with interest rate differentials and funding mismatches, as the average investment return rate has shifted down to 3%-4% [15][16]. - The phenomenon of "long money short matching" is prevalent, with many leading insurance companies facing a duration gap of 4-7 years, prompting a shift towards high-dividend H-shares as long-term assets [16][18].

Core Viewpoint - Insurance capital has been actively increasing stakes in financial sector listed companies, particularly in H-shares, driven by the need for stable high-yield investments amid low interest rates and asset scarcity [2][5][11]. Group 1: Recent Activities - Since August, insurance capital has frequently made significant purchases in the financial sector, including China Pacific Insurance and Zheshang Bank, triggering mandatory disclosures due to exceeding 5% ownership [2][5]. - In total, insurance capital has initiated over 20 stake increases in listed companies this year, marking the highest frequency in the past five years [5]. Group 2: Investment Strategy - The strategy behind these investments includes utilizing the FVOCI accounting method, which allows insurance companies to smooth out profit fluctuations by classifying high-dividend stocks as financial assets [3][11]. - The current low interest rate environment has prompted insurance companies to adjust their asset allocation strategies, focusing on increasing stock and alternative asset holdings to meet cash flow management needs [3][11]. Group 3: High Dividend Appeal - The banking and insurance H-shares offer attractive dividend yields of approximately 4% to 5%, which exceed the average return of insurance capital, making them appealing for maintaining higher investment returns [7][10]. - The trend of narrowing AH share premium has led insurance capital to expedite their investments in H-shares to lock in lower holding costs before further price increases [9][10]. Group 4: Risk Management - Insurance companies are also using these investments to mitigate risks associated with interest rate spreads and funding mismatches, as the current market conditions have shifted their focus from safety to yield [11][12]. - The long-term asset allocation strategy aims to address the structural mismatch between the long duration of insurance liabilities and the shorter duration of available high-yield assets [12][13].

Core Viewpoint - The scheduled interest rate for insurance products in China is set to decrease to 2.0%, significantly impacting consumers' insurance purchases and the insurance industry as a whole [1][7]. Summary by Relevant Sections Impact on Savings-Type Insurance - The reduction in the preset interest rate will lead to a notable decrease in the returns from savings-type insurance products, affecting future pension payouts and overall wealth accumulation for families [2][5]. - The cash value growth of products like endowment life insurance will slow down, diminishing the long-term wealth appreciation effect [2][5]. Impact on Protection-Type Insurance - Premiums for protection-type insurance products, such as critical illness and term life insurance, are expected to rise. For instance, a 30-year-old male will see an increase of 1,830 yuan annually for a specific critical illness insurance product due to the new rate [2][4]. - The average premium increase across various products is estimated to be around 20%, with products that include investment savings features likely experiencing higher adjustments compared to pure protection products [3][4]. Financial Planning Uncertainty - The decrease in preset interest rates introduces uncertainty into long-term financial planning, particularly for essential needs like retirement and education funding, necessitating a reassessment of financial goals and strategies [5][6]. Strategies for Consumers - Consumers are advised to take advantage of the remaining time before the new rates take effect by locking in higher interest rate products, particularly in annuity insurance [6][7]. - It is recommended to diversify asset allocation to mitigate interest rate risks, including increasing investments in fixed-income assets like government bonds [6][7]. - Families without basic protection insurance are encouraged to finalize their plans before premium increases, opting for products that combine protection and savings [6][7].

Core Viewpoint - The recent surge in A-share market is primarily driven by long-term capital from insurance companies, despite a decrease in the preset interest rates for life insurance products, indicating a shift in investment strategies within the insurance sector [1][2]. Summary by Sections Insurance Product Rate Adjustments - The preset interest rate for ordinary life insurance products has been adjusted down to 1.99% from 2.13%, a decrease of 14 basis points [2]. - The maximum preset rates for various insurance products will change: ordinary life insurance from 2.5% to 2.0%, participating insurance from 2.0% to 1.75%, and universal insurance from 1.5% to 1.0%, effective August 31 [2][3]. Competitive Landscape of Insurance Products - The upcoming adjustments will disrupt the previous 50 basis points gap between ordinary, participating, and universal insurance products, enhancing the competitive edge of participating insurance [3]. - Regulatory support for participating insurance products is evident, reflecting a strategic shift towards these offerings [3][5]. Industry Transformation and Risk Management - The life insurance industry is accelerating its transition towards participating insurance, which helps mitigate interest rate risk and provides greater flexibility for investment strategies [4]. - The traditional profit model based on interest rate spreads is under pressure due to declining market rates, prompting insurers to adapt by focusing on participating insurance [4][6]. Policy Support and Investment Strategy - Recent regulatory guidance encourages the development of long-term participating insurance products, aligning with the industry's transformation [5]. - The lower preset interest rates will reduce liability costs, allowing insurance companies to optimize their asset allocation towards equities and high-dividend sectors, enhancing potential long-term returns [7][8]. Market Dynamics and Investment Trends - The insurance sector is experiencing a significant increase in equity allocation, with insurance funds' investment in stocks and securities rising to 4.46 trillion yuan, accounting for 12.8% of total investments [7]. - The shift towards equity investments is driven by a combination of low interest rates, regulatory changes, and the need for better returns in a challenging market environment [8].

Core Insights - The insurance industry has reported its investment performance for the first half of the year, with 135 companies disclosing their financial investment yield and comprehensive investment yield [1][2] - The average financial investment yield for these companies is approximately 1.97%, while the average comprehensive investment yield is about 2.22% [1][2] Financial Investment Yield - The financial investment yield has shown a year-on-year increase, with a median of 1.72% and 92% of companies reporting yields below 3% [2] - The increase in financial investment yield is attributed to the decline in long-term interest rates, which has positively impacted the prices of held-to-maturity assets [2] Comprehensive Investment Yield - The comprehensive investment yield has decreased year-on-year, with a median of 1.91% and 87% of companies reporting yields below 3% [2] - The decline is influenced by market volatility affecting equity assets and risks associated with certain non-standard assets [2] Performance by Company Type - Life insurance companies generally outperform property insurance companies in terms of investment yields, with life insurers achieving an average financial investment yield of 2.15% and a comprehensive yield of 2.54% [3] - The highest financial investment yield recorded was 22.15% by Fubon Property Insurance, while the highest comprehensive yield was 22.53% [3] Strategies for Improvement - Experts suggest that insurance companies should optimize asset structures, diversify profit sources, and enhance asset-liability matching to improve investment yields and mitigate interest spread loss risks [4][5] - Specific recommendations include adjusting product structures and pricing rates in response to declining interest rates, as well as exploring new development models to meet customer needs [4][5]

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" outlook on the non-bank financial industry, indicating an expectation for the sector to outperform the overall market [3][6]. Core Insights - The insurance sector has shown a significant increase, with the Shenwan Insurance II Index rising by 3.20%, outperforming the CSI 300 Index by 0.83 percentage points. Notably, Ping An Insurance has increased its stake in China Pacific Insurance (H) and China Life Insurance (H), triggering regulatory notifications [3][6]. - The report highlights a resurgence in insurance companies' acquisitions of peers, with 32 announcements made in 2024, the highest since 2016. As of August 14, 2025, 14 insurance institutions have made 24 acquisition announcements, involving 20 listed companies [3][6]. - The report emphasizes the positive implications of declining long-term interest rates and the entry of long-term capital into the market, suggesting a favorable environment for insurance companies [3][6]. Summary by Sections Market Review - The CSI 300 Index closed at 4,202.35 with a weekly change of +2.4%, while the non-bank index closed at 2,079.34 with a change of +6.5%. The brokerage, insurance, and diversified financial sectors reported changes of +8.2%, +3.2%, and +4.5%, respectively [6][10]. Non-Bank Industry Insights - The report notes that as of August 15, 2025, the 10-year government bond yield was 1.75%, with a weekly increase of 2.62 basis points. The insurance sector's performance is closely tied to these interest rate movements [13][19]. - The report also mentions that the average daily trading volume in A-shares has increased significantly, indicating a robust market environment for brokers [19][39]. Investment Recommendations - For the insurance sector, the report recommends focusing on undervalued stocks, specifically China Life (H), China Pacific Insurance, New China Life, Ping An, China Property & Casualty, and China Re [3][6]. - In the brokerage sector, the report suggests three investment themes: strong comprehensive institutions benefiting from improved competition, brokers with significant earnings elasticity, and firms with strong international business capabilities [3][6].