Core Insights - The Chinese banking industry is at a crossroads of new and old risks, with a focus on the evolving asset quality and the impact of retail loan defaults [1][6] - The report from Guosen Securities highlights a 15-year trend of bad debt clearance across various sectors, with a notable shift from corporate loans to retail loans in recent years [1][2] Group 1: Historical Context and Risk Management - The report identifies 2011 as the starting point of the current asset quality cycle, marked by a liquidity crisis in Wenzhou and a peak non-performing loan (NPL) rate of 4.41% [2] - Systemic pressure primarily arose from the manufacturing and wholesale retail sectors, with NPL rates peaking at 7.79% in 2016 and 6.12% in 2018, respectively [2] - Banks proactively reduced their exposure to these sectors and shifted credit resources towards personal loans, particularly housing loans, effectively mitigating corporate asset quality deterioration [2] Group 2: Real Estate Sector Analysis - The real estate sector has become the new focal point for asset quality issues, with corporate loan NPL rates rising from below 1.4% to a peak of 4.42% in 2023, before showing signs of decline [3] - The report suggests that the peak of NPL generation in the real estate sector has passed, largely due to banks' preemptive risk management strategies [3] - Despite the high NPL rates, the overall impact on banks' asset quality is considered manageable due to the relatively low proportion of real estate loans in the total loan portfolio [3] Group 3: Retail Loan Risks - As corporate loan risks recede, retail loan defaults are becoming a central concern, with rising NPL rates across personal housing, consumption, credit card, and business loans [4][5] - The NPL rate for personal housing loans has been increasing since 2021, influenced by adjustments in the real estate market, with no clear signs of stabilization [5] - The rapid rise in NPL rates for personal business loans and a slight rebound in consumption loans are attributed to previous aggressive lending practices and rising household leverage [5] Group 4: Future Outlook and Industry Stability - The report indicates that 2023 marks the end of the current performance downturn cycle, with expectations for improvement in the industry’s fundamentals in 2024 [5] - The 15-year history of risk management in the Chinese banking sector demonstrates a mechanism for maintaining financial stability through phased bad debt exposure and dynamic credit structure adjustments [6] - However, the sustainability of this risk management model is questioned, particularly as banks face rising retail loan risks and the limitations of excess provisions [6]

Investment Rating - The industry is rated as "Outperform the Market" [2][3] Core Viewpoints - The stability of asset quality in the banking sector is attributed to the gradual clearing of non-performing loans across various sectors over the past 15 years, which has mitigated the impact on bank financial statements [1][2] - Banks have proactively adjusted their loan structures to reduce risk exposure, particularly by decreasing the proportion of loans to sectors experiencing rising non-performing loans [1][2] - The impact of non-performing loans on profit statements has been minimized due to banks' preemptive provisioning strategies, which have allowed for smoother profit reporting [1][2] - Non-credit areas of non-performing assets have also been cleared or are at a minimal level, contributing to the overall stability of bank risk profiles [1][2] Summary by Sections Non-Performing Loan Exposure and Clearing - The banking sector has experienced a 15-year process of risk resolution, with non-performing loans being gradually exposed and cleared [12] - The manufacturing and retail sectors have seen significant reductions in non-performing loans, achieving a return to levels similar to those seen in 2010 [26][30] Real Estate Sector - The real estate sector's non-performing loan ratio peaked in 2023 but has since shown signs of recovery, although it remains elevated [35][37] - The overall impact of real estate risks on bank loan portfolios is limited due to the relatively small proportion of real estate loans compared to total loans [37][38] City Investment Loans - The non-performing loan ratio for city investment loans has been declining since 2023, aided by debt reduction efforts [41][44] Retail Loans - Retail loan categories, including personal housing loans and credit card loans, are currently experiencing rising non-performing rates, indicating ongoing risk exposure [50][53] Other Loan Categories - Other loan categories, such as utilities and miscellaneous public loans, have minimal impact on overall bank risk due to their low non-performing rates [60][63] Loan Structure Adjustments - Banks have actively adjusted their loan structures in response to risk exposures, shifting focus towards lower-risk personal loans [66][68] Provisioning Strategies - Banks have utilized provisioning to smooth profit impacts from non-performing loans, with historical data indicating a capacity to release significant net profits from existing provisions [81][82] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on banks with strong asset quality and low provisioning pressure, such as Chengdu Bank and Changsha Bank, while also recommending cyclical stocks like Ningbo Bank and Changshu Bank for potential recovery [105]