Core Viewpoint - The analysis of new business acquisition cost rates in the life insurance sector indicates that a higher acquisition cost does not necessarily correlate with lower profitability for new business, challenging conventional wisdom in the industry [1][6][24]. Group 1: New Business Acquisition Cost Rate - The formula for calculating the new business acquisition cost rate is defined as the cash flow from acquiring insurance contracts divided by the present value of future cash inflows from those contracts [1][11]. - In 2024, the aggregated new business acquisition cost rate for 12 life insurance companies was 8.4%, a decrease of 0.8 percentage points year-on-year [17]. - The new business profit margin for the same group of companies was 8.7%, reflecting a year-on-year decline of 0.4 percentage points [19]. Group 2: Performance of Individual Companies - Among the 12 companies, Ping An Life had the highest new business acquisition cost rate at 11.9%, followed by Taiping Life at 9.6% [19]. - The analysis revealed that loss-making contracts had a new business acquisition cost rate of 5.7%, while non-loss-making contracts had a rate of 8.7%, suggesting that higher quality, potentially profitable business requires greater investment in acquisition [19][22]. - Companies primarily using the bancassurance channel, such as Zhong Postal Life and Sunshine Life, experienced a 2.5 percentage point decrease in their new business acquisition cost rates due to the "reporting and operation integration" effect [21][22]. Group 3: Insights on Cost and Profitability Relationship - The relationship between new business acquisition cost rates and profit margins is complex; higher acquisition costs do not equate to lower profit margins, which contradicts common assumptions [6][24]. - The analysis indicates that companies with higher acquisition costs often achieve higher profit margins, likely due to their investment in acquiring higher quality business [7][26]. - The findings suggest that the main distribution channels for leading companies remain focused on individual agents, which influences their cost structures and profitability [4][26].

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of the new business profit margin as a more effective indicator for assessing the profitability of life insurance companies compared to the new business value ratio, particularly under the new insurance contract standards [1][6][10]. Summary by Sections New Business Profit Margin - The new business profit margin is calculated using the formula: New Business Profit Margin = (Current Initial Recognition of Insurance Contract Service Margin - Initial Recognition of Loss) / Present Value of Future Cash Inflows from Insurance Contracts [1][10]. - The 2024 new business profit margin for the life insurance industry (12 companies combined) is 8.2%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points year-on-year [3][18]. Company-Specific Profit Margins - In 2024, Taiping Life has the highest new business profit margin at 11.8%, followed by Zhongyou Life at 11.5%, and Taibao Health at 10.4% [4][17]. - For Ping An Life, the new business value ratio is 22.7%, while the new business profit margin is 8.7%, indicating that the latter is a more accurate reflection of profitability [5][22]. Comparison with New Business Value Ratio - The article discusses the limitations of the new business value ratio, which can be misleading as it does not accurately reflect the profit margin due to its calculation method [6][7]. - The new business value ratio is defined as the ratio of new business value to the first-year premium, which can lead to inflated perceptions of profitability when compared to other industries' sales net profit margins [7][24]. Financial Data Insights - The present value of new business premium income for China Life in 2024 is 812.1 billion yuan, making it the largest in terms of premium scale [12]. - The article provides detailed financial data for 2024, including estimates of future cash inflows and the impact of loss contracts on the overall profit margin [9][11]. Conclusion - The implementation of new insurance contract standards has enriched the financial disclosures of life insurance companies, allowing for a more nuanced analysis of profitability through the new business profit margin [6][10].