Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly state an investment rating for the banking sector Core Insights - The growth of domestic RMB loans reached 268.6 trillion yuan by the end of June 2025, with a year-on-year growth rate of 7.10%, indicating a downward shift in the loan growth rate since 2024 [1] - The total domestic RMB deposit balance was 320.2 trillion yuan by the end of June 2025, with a year-on-year growth rate of 8.30%, showing an acceleration in deposit growth due to a low base effect from the previous year [3] - The issuance of special refinancing bonds reached 45.87 billion yuan in Q2, with a total issuance of 1.8 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, which is expected to gradually reduce the negative impact on credit growth [1][3] Summary by Sections Loan Growth - In Q1 2025, new loans added amounted to 9.7 trillion yuan, while Q2 saw a decrease to 3.1 trillion yuan, primarily due to a reduction in medium to long-term loans for enterprises [1] - Short-term loans and bill financing for enterprises decreased by 129 billion yuan, with bill financing down by 660.2 billion yuan as banks shifted focus to higher-yielding loans and bonds [1] Deposit Growth - Q1 2025 saw an increase of 13.0 trillion yuan in deposits, while Q2 added 5.0 trillion yuan, with significant contributions from non-bank deposits, household deposits, and government deposits [3] - The structure of deposits is shifting from on-balance-sheet to off-balance-sheet, driven by declining deposit rates [3] Sector Outlook - Short-term impacts from tariff policies may affect exports, but long-term expansionary policies aimed at stabilizing the real estate market and boosting consumption are expected to support economic growth [4] - The banking sector is anticipated to benefit from these policies, with specific banks like Ningbo Bank, Postal Savings Bank, and China Merchants Bank highlighted as potential investment opportunities [7]