Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" outlook for the banking sector in 2026, indicating a return to fundamental narratives supported by policy financial tools and resilient asset expansion [6][35]. Core Insights - The banking sector is expected to stabilize net interest margins and recover due to the ongoing repricing cycle of deposits, with structural risks anticipated to receive policy support [3][35]. - The report highlights two main investment lines: 1. High-quality small and medium-sized banks with solid fundamentals, including Nanjing Bank, Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank, Ningbo Bank, Shanghai Bank, and Hangzhou Bank [3][36]. 2. Large state-owned banks with stable fundamentals and defensive value, including Bank of Communications and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China [3][36]. Historical Review of Loan and Deposit Growth Gap - The report constructs a loan and deposit growth gap indicator, defined as "bank deposit growth - bank loan growth," with an upward trend indicating convergence and a downward trend indicating expansion [9][12]. - Historical analysis shows: 1. From 2016 to 2018, the gap deepened due to a faster decline in deposit growth, primarily influenced by deleveraging and regulatory impacts [14][18]. 2. Between 2019 and 2020, the gap narrowed, driven by a faster decline in loan growth due to stricter real estate regulations and the pandemic [18][19]. 3. From the second half of 2021 to 2022, the gap steeply narrowed due to dual drivers from both deposits and loans, with a significant shift in household liquidity dynamics [19][21]. 4. In 2023 to Q1 2024, the gap expanded again, primarily due to a sharper decline in deposit growth influenced by early mortgage repayments and policy-driven debt restructuring [21][24]. Understanding Recent Convergence of Loan and Deposit Growth Gap - The continuous narrowing of the loan and deposit growth gap in recent years is attributed to high-interest deposit adjustments and accelerated debt restructuring, with a projected scale of 3.2 trillion yuan in 2024 [24][26]. - The report anticipates that the gap will likely stabilize marginally but is less likely to trend towards expansion, contingent on the credit supply positioning of the household sector [31][31]. Relationship Between Loan and Deposit Growth Gap and Bank Bond Allocation - The convergence of the loan and deposit growth gap suggests relative redundancy of deposits within the banking system, which should enhance banks' bond allocation capabilities [33][34]. - Statistical analysis indicates that changes in the loan and deposit growth gap serve as a leading indicator for stable bond investment growth, particularly for large state-owned banks [33][34].

Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" outlook for the banking sector in 2026, indicating a return to fundamental narratives supported by policy financial tools and resilient asset expansion [6][35]. Core Insights - The banking sector is expected to stabilize net interest margins and recover due to the ongoing repricing cycle of deposits, with structural risks anticipated to receive policy support [3][35]. - The report highlights two main investment themes: 1. High-quality small and medium-sized banks with solid fundamentals, including Nanjing Bank, Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank, Ningbo Bank, Shanghai Bank, and Hangzhou Bank [3][36]. 2. State-owned large banks with stable fundamentals and defensive value, including Bank of Communications and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China [3][36]. Historical Analysis of Loan and Deposit Growth Gap - The report constructs a loan and deposit growth gap indicator, defined as "bank deposit growth - bank loan growth," with an upward trend indicating convergence and a downward trend indicating expansion [9][12]. - Historical analysis shows: 1. From 2016 to 2018, the gap deepened due to a faster decline in deposit growth, primarily influenced by deleveraging and regulatory impacts [14][18]. 2. Between 2019 and 2020, the gap narrowed, driven by a faster decline in loan growth due to stricter real estate regulations and the pandemic [18][19]. 3. From the second half of 2021 to 2022, the gap steeply narrowed due to dual drivers from both deposits and loans, with a significant shift in household liquidity dynamics [19][21]. 4. In 2023 to Q1 2024, the gap expanded again, primarily due to a sharper decline in deposit growth influenced by early mortgage repayments and policy-driven debt restructuring [21][24]. Understanding Recent Convergence of Loan and Deposit Growth Gap - The continuous narrowing of the loan and deposit growth gap in recent years is attributed to high-interest deposit adjustments and accelerated debt restructuring, with a projected scale of 3.2 trillion yuan in 2024 [24][26]. - The report anticipates that the gap will likely stabilize marginally but is less likely to trend towards expansion, contingent on the credit supply dynamics of the household sector [31][33]. Relationship Between Loan and Deposit Growth Gap and Bank Bond Allocation - The convergence of the loan and deposit growth gap suggests relative redundancy of deposits within the banking system, which should enhance banks' bond allocation capabilities [33][34]. - Statistical analysis indicates that changes in the loan and deposit growth gap serve as a leading indicator for stable bond investment growth, particularly for state-owned banks [33][34].