2 December 2025 | 10:13AM HKT Equity Research CHINA FINANCIAL SERVICES Addressing nine top of mind questions from our 3Q NDR meetings After 3Q results, we hosted 21 China financial companies for investor group calls, including banks, brokers and fintech companies. We summarize the main takeaways below to address the nine top of mind questions: Shuo Yang, Ph.D. +852-2978-0701 | shuo.yang@gs.com Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. Claire Ouyang +852-2978-6686 | claire.x.ouyang@gs.com Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. Goldm ...

Core Insights - Valley National Bancorp (VLY) reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with adjusted earnings per share of 28 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents, and a year-over-year increase of 55.6% [1][10] Financial Performance - The third-quarter 2025 net income reached $163.4 million, a 66.9% increase from the previous year, driven by higher net interest income (NII) and non-interest income, despite higher expenses and lower loan balances [2][10] - Total revenues on a fully-taxable-equivalent (FTE) basis were $512.4 million, an 8.4% year-over-year increase, although slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $513.9 million [3] - NII on an FTE basis was $447.5 million, up 8.7% year over year, with a net interest margin of 3.05%, expanding by 19 basis points [3] - Non-interest income rose 6.9% year over year to $64.9 million, primarily due to increases in various fee income components [4] Expense Management - Non-interest expenses totaled $282 million, a 4.6% increase year over year, while adjusted non-interest expenses rose 3.5% to $272.8 million [4] - The adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 53.37%, down from 56.13% in the prior-year quarter, indicating enhanced profitability [5] Loan and Deposit Trends - As of September 30, 2025, total loans were $49.3 billion, showing a slight decline, while total deposits increased to $51.2 billion, up approximately 1% from the previous quarter [6] Credit Quality - Total non-performing assets increased to $427.3 million, a 40.1% rise year over year, with the allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans at 1.21%, up 7 basis points [7] - Provision for credit losses was $19.2 million, down 74.4% year over year [7] Profitability and Capital Ratios - Adjusted annualized return on average assets improved to 1.04%, up from 0.62% in the previous year, while adjusted annualized return on average shareholders' equity rose to 8.62%, up from 5.64% [8] - The tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio was 8.79%, an increase from 7.68% in the corresponding period of 2024, and the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio improved to 11.72% from 10.29% [9]

Core Insights - Bank of America (BAC) reported third-quarter 2025 earnings of $1.06 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 94 cents and up from 81 cents in the prior-year quarter [1][10] - The stock gained 4.9% in early trading following the positive earnings report [1] Revenue and Earnings Performance - Total revenues for BAC were $28.09 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $27.28 billion and increasing 10.8% year over year [6] - Net interest income (NII) grew 9% year over year to $15.39 billion, exceeding the estimate of $15.29 billion [6] - Non-interest income rose 13% from the prior-year quarter to $12.86 billion, driven by higher fees and commissions [7] Trading and Investment Banking - BAC experienced a 14th consecutive quarter of improvement in trading revenues, which grew 8.3% year over year to $5.35 billion [2] - Investment banking fees in the Global Banking division increased 47.5% year over year to $1.16 billion, with equity and debt underwriting income rising 47% and 42.2%, respectively [3] Expenses and Efficiency - Non-interest expenses increased 5.2% year over year to $17.34 billion, attributed to rising costs across most components [7] - The efficiency ratio improved to 61.39%, down from 64.64% in the year-ago quarter, indicating enhanced profitability [8] Credit Quality - Provision for credit losses was $1.30 billion, down 16% from the prior-year quarter, indicating improved credit quality [9] - Net charge-offs declined 10.9% year over year to $1.37 billion, with non-performing loans as a percentage of total loans decreasing to 0.46% from 0.53% [11] Capital Position and Share Repurchase - Book value per share increased to $37.95 from $35.37 a year ago, while tangible book value per share rose to $28.39 from $26.25 [12] - The company repurchased shares worth $5.3 billion during the reported quarter [13] Strategic Outlook - BAC's focus on digitization, loan growth, and relatively higher interest rates is expected to support future growth, although elevated expenses and a challenging operating environment present headwinds [14]

Core Viewpoint - U.S. Bancorp is expected to report strong third-quarter earnings, with an EPS of $1.11 and revenue of $7.18 billion, driven by rising net interest income and solid lending activities [1][6]. Financial Performance - The anticipated net interest income (NII) for the third quarter is projected to be between $4.1 billion and $4.2 billion, supported by stable funding costs and strong loan demand [2][6]. - Non-interest income is expected to rise by 1.9% sequentially, reaching approximately $3 billion, highlighting the company's diversified revenue streams [3][6]. Historical Performance - U.S. Bancorp has a history of exceeding earnings expectations, with an average surprise of 2.93% over the past four quarters, indicating potential for surpassing the consensus EPS estimate of $1.11 [4]. Valuation Metrics - The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 10.64 and a price-to-sales ratio of about 1.73, suggesting it is attractively valued [5]. - The enterprise value to sales ratio is around 2.23, and the earnings yield is about 9.4%, while the debt-to-equity ratio stands at approximately 1.29 and the current ratio at around 0.28, indicating areas for improvement in leverage and liquidity [5].

Financial Performance and Key Metrics - Trustmark reported net income of $53.6 million for the first quarter, translating to fully diluted EPS of $0.88 per share, with a return on average assets of 1.19% and a return on average tangible equity of 13.13% [10] - Loans held for investment increased by $151 million or 1.2% linked quarter, with growth seen in commercial real estate (CRE), other commercial loans, and one to four family mortgage loans [8][9] - The cost of total deposits decreased by 15 basis points to 1.83% during the quarter [9] - Non-interest income totaled approximately $43 million, up 4% linked quarter, driven by growth in mortgage banking and wealth management [11] - Non-interest expense declined by $419,000 linked quarter, continuing a trend of expense management [11] Business Line Performance - The growth in loans was diversified, with notable increases in CRE and other commercial loans [8] - Non-interest income growth was partially offset by seasonal declines in bank card and service charges on deposit accounts [11] - Credit quality remained stable, with net charge-offs totaling $1.4 million, representing 4 basis points of average loans [12] Market Data and Key Metrics - The capital management perspective showed an increase in all capital ratios, with the CET1 ratio expanding to 11.63% [13] - Tangible book value per share increased by 4.1% during the quarter and 26.1% year-over-year, reaching $27.78 [14] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is affirming its full-year 2025 expectations, anticipating low single-digit increases in loans and deposits [15][16] - Trustmark plans to maintain a disciplined approach to capital deployment, focusing on organic loan growth and potential market expansion [17] - The company is monitoring the impact of tariffs and other administrative policies on its customer base, but has not yet seen immediate effects [15] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the stability of credit quality and the potential for loan growth despite market uncertainties [15][30] - There is an expectation of continued solid pipelines across various business lines, although some clients may exhibit caution due to market volatility [30][31] - The company anticipates net interest margin to remain in the range of 3.75% to 3.85% for the full year [16][37] Other Important Information - The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per share, payable on June 15 to shareholders of record on June 1 [14] - The company repurchased $15 million of common stock during the quarter, with a remaining repurchase authority of $85 million [13] Q&A Session Summary Question: Loan growth trends and client behavior regarding tariffs - Management noted that while there are expectations of meaningful maturing CRE loans, many clients are opting to extend their loans due to uncertainty in interest rates [22][24] - The company has seen solid pipelines and plans from clients, although some may pause due to market conditions [30][31] Question: Credit quality and reserve build - The increase in the allowance for credit losses was driven by loan growth and qualitative adjustments, with the provision aligning with expectations [44][45] Question: Expense management and future growth outlook - The decline in expenses was attributed to lower salaries and benefits, with a focus on controlling costs moving forward [48][50] - Management anticipates mid-single-digit growth in expenses for the year, with merit increases scheduled for the third quarter [51] Question: Share buybacks and capital deployment - The pace of share repurchases will be dictated by market conditions, with management expressing a desire to maintain a consistent buyback trend [54][58] - The company is focused on strategic growth initiatives in key markets to drive organic growth [55]