Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Buy" rating for Suzhou Bank [7]. Core Views - The state-owned major shareholder has been continuously increasing its stake, indicating a strong long-term value outlook. The bank's fundamentals remain robust, with government-related business driving accelerated credit growth. The improvement in deposit costs alleviates net interest margin pressure, and the asset quality indicators are consistently excellent. The dividend payout ratio for 2024 is expected to increase by 1.4 percentage points to 32.5% of net profit attributable to the parent company, supporting a year-on-year increase in DPS. The completion of the convertible bond conversion in Q1 this year has bolstered capital, supporting credit issuance and ensuring stable future dividends. Currently, the 2025 PB valuation is 0.83x, PE valuation is 8.2x, and the expected dividend yield is 4.1% [5][9][10]. Summary by Sections Shareholder Actions - On June 30, it was announced that the major shareholder, Suzhou Guofa Group, increased its stake in Suzhou Bank, along with its concerted action partner, Dongwu Securities, to a total of 15.00%. The actual controller of Suzhou Bank has changed to the Suzhou Municipal Finance Bureau. The group plans to increase its holdings by no less than 400 million yuan over the next six months, with a commitment not to reduce its holdings within six months after the completion of this plan [5][10]. Business Performance - Suzhou Bank has shown steady growth in its core business, with total loans increasing by 8.9% year-on-year as of the end of Q1. The bank's asset scale is currently 727.2 billion yuan, with a clear path towards reaching a trillion yuan in assets. The bank's net interest margin has been under pressure due to declining loan rates, but the reduction in deposit costs is expected to stabilize this margin moving forward. The bank maintains a conservative risk appetite, with a low non-performing loan ratio and strong provisioning capabilities [9][10][11]. Financial Projections - The bank's total assets are projected to grow from 693.71 billion yuan in 2024 to 1,009.84 billion yuan by 2027. The net profit attributable to the parent company is expected to increase from 5.07 billion yuan in 2024 to 6.04 billion yuan in 2027. The bank's return on equity (ROE) is projected to be around 10.19% by 2027, with a non-performing loan ratio stabilizing at approximately 0.82% [24].