Core Viewpoint - The A500 index has shown mixed performance with a slight decline, while the A500 ETF fund has seen significant trading activity and inflows, indicating a potential shift in investment strategies towards long-term holdings in high-dividend and high-ROE assets [3][4]. Group 1: A500 Index Performance - As of May 15, 2025, the A500 index (000510) decreased by 0.72%, with notable gainers including COSCO SHIPPING Development (601866) up 9.96% and Shenghe Resources (600392) up 7.89% [3]. - The A500 ETF fund (512050) also fell by 0.73%, priced at 0.95 yuan, with a trading volume of 18.94 billion yuan and a turnover rate of 10.89% [3]. Group 2: Investment Trends and Regulatory Changes - The head of the Financial Regulatory Bureau announced plans to expand the long-term investment pilot for insurance funds by an additional 60 billion yuan, aiming to inject more capital into the market [3]. - Adjustments to solvency regulations will lower the risk factors for stock investments by 10%, encouraging insurance companies to increase their market participation [3]. Group 3: A500 ETF Fund Details - The A500 ETF fund has reached a new high in scale at 17.496 billion yuan, with a significant increase in shares by 3.66 million over the past week, ranking first among comparable funds [4]. - The fund has seen a net inflow of 458 million yuan recently, with three out of the last five trading days recording net inflows totaling 557 million yuan [4]. Group 4: Top Holdings in A500 Index - As of April 30, 2025, the top ten weighted stocks in the A500 index include Kweichow Moutai (600519), CATL (300750), and Ping An Insurance (601318), collectively accounting for 20.8% of the index [5]. - The weightings of the top stocks are as follows: Kweichow Moutai at 4.28%, CATL at 2.96%, and Ping An at 2.46% [7].

Group 1: Market Performance - The Hong Kong Dividend ETF Fund (513820) saw a volume increase and closed up 0.82%, marking two consecutive days of gains, with funds increasing by over 95 million yuan for five consecutive days [1] - The Bank ETF leader (512820) ended a three-day decline with a 1.42% increase, with a trading volume exceeding 54 million yuan, a 39% increase compared to the previous period [3] Group 2: Insurance Capital Preferences - In 2022, insurance capital initiated a new wave of "stake acquisitions," with eight insurance companies making a total of 20 acquisitions, predominantly targeting dividend assets, particularly the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China H-shares, which exhibit low valuation and high dividend characteristics [5] - In 2023, insurance giants have made 12 stake acquisitions involving 11 stocks, continuing their preference for banks and Hong Kong dividend assets [5] Group 3: Investment Environment - The insurance capital's demand for equity asset allocation has increased due to new regulations aimed at reducing profit volatility and a shift towards flexible dividend insurance products [7] - Policies are strongly supporting insurance capital and other long-term funds entering the market, with a target for large state-owned insurance companies to invest 30% of new premiums in A-shares starting in 2025 [7] Group 4: Dividend Asset Characteristics - High dividend assets are favored in a low-interest-rate environment, as they provide stable returns and lower volatility compared to growth stocks, making them attractive for insurance capital [7] - The Hong Kong dividend assets have a higher cash dividend ratio of 48.9% compared to A-shares at 41.8%, and the dividend yield of the Hong Kong Dividend ETF Fund (513820) is 8.88%, leading the market's mainstream dividend indices [8][9] Group 5: Banking Sector Insights - The banking sector is characterized by high dividends and low valuations, with the Bank ETF leader (512820) showing a dividend yield of 6.71%, the highest among all secondary industry indices [9] - The banking industry is closely tied to macroeconomic growth, and with ongoing policies to stabilize growth, there is potential for improvement in profitability and valuations within the banking sector [10]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Recommended" with expectations of exceeding the benchmark index by more than 5% in the next 3-6 months [21]. Core Insights - The report emphasizes the need for insurance companies to adjust their asset allocation strategies in response to interest rate fluctuations, advocating for an increase in long-term bonds and a focus on equity style rotation [2]. - It highlights the shift in asset allocation among listed insurance companies, with a notable increase in the proportion of FVOCI (Fair Value Other Comprehensive Income) assets in their equity investments, aimed at stabilizing net profit [3][8]. - The report also discusses the performance of major insurance companies, predicting a continued focus on dividend strategies to mitigate pressure on net investment returns [7]. Summary by Sections Industry Overview - The total market capitalization of the insurance sector is approximately 27,935.74 billion, with a circulating market value of 19,257.54 billion [4]. - The report notes a mixed performance in the relative index, with a 1-month absolute performance of 2.5% and a 12-month performance of 37.0% [5]. Asset Allocation Trends - Insurance companies have increased their allocation to long-term bonds in response to declining interest rates, with the 10-year government bond yield dropping to 1.68% by the end of 2024 [7]. - The report details the asset allocation changes for major insurance companies, indicating a general trend of increasing bond holdings while adjusting equity positions [7]. Company-Specific Insights - China Life has increased its fund allocation while slightly decreasing its stock proportion, with fixed-income assets rising by 2.7 percentage points to 74.3% [7]. - China Ping An has increased its stock allocation while reducing its fund holdings, with fixed-income assets rising to 76.2% [7]. - China Taiping has also increased its stock allocation, with fixed-income assets now at 82.3% [7]. - New China Life has increased both stock and fund allocations, with equity assets rising to 20.7% [7]. - China Re has increased its stock allocation while reducing funds, with equity assets now at 28.4% [7]. - Sunshine Insurance has increased its stock allocation while maintaining fund levels, with equity assets rising to 23.7% [7]. Performance Forecasts - The report provides earnings per share (EPS) forecasts for major companies, with China Ping An expected to have an EPS of 7.56 in 2025, while China Life is projected at 3.09 [9]. - The price-to-earnings (PE) ratios for these companies are also provided, with China Ping An at 6.83 and China Life at 12.16 for 2025 [9].

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" and maintained [11] Core Viewpoints - The low interest rate environment poses challenges for insurance companies, leading overseas insurers to extend bond durations and increase equity allocations. In the short term, China's bond market shows a slight shortage of long-term supply, and the current liability structure of insurers is sensitive to net assets, which poses some resistance to increasing equity allocations. However, in the medium to long term, with ongoing policy support for insurance capital market entry and improvements in capital market infrastructure, the willingness and ability of insurers to allocate equity will gradually increase, alleviating investment pressure [2][9][10]. Summary by Sections Impact of Interest Rates on Insurance Companies - The valuation of A-share listed insurance companies is generally aligned with interest rates. Since 2011, the valuation of insurance companies has maintained a consistent relationship with bond yields, with only a few exceptions during specific periods [17][19]. - The decline in interest rates can lead to increased risks of interest spread losses due to duration mismatches, negatively impacting net assets and the intrinsic value of insurance companies [6][24]. Overseas Insurance Asset Allocation Strategies - U.S. insurers have significantly increased their equity allocations from 9.9% in 1980 to 30.8% in 2021, making equities the second-largest asset class after bonds. Additionally, the duration of bonds held by U.S. insurers has been extended, with the proportion of bonds with a remaining term of over 20 years increasing by 4.8 percentage points since 1997 [7][44][57]. - Japanese insurers have also extended bond durations and increased overseas asset allocations, with the overseas allocation rising from 12.8% in 2008 to 25% in 2023 [68]. - South Korean insurers have gradually increased overseas asset allocations from 2.8% in 1999 to 11.6% in 2022, while the bond proportion has decreased from 57.9% in 2013 to 46.2% in 2022 [8][77]. Policy Support for Equity Allocation - Policies encouraging long-term capital market entry are being implemented, aiming to enhance the willingness and ability of insurers to allocate equity. The goal is to have 30% of new insurance premiums invested in the stock market annually, which could potentially increase equity allocation by approximately 295.7 billion yuan if the proportion is adjusted to 60% [9][10][9].