Group 1 - Fujian Huadong Bank announced adjustments to personal notice deposit rates, effective May 10, 2025, with rates set at 0.8% for 1-day and 1% for 7-day deposits [1] - This marks the fourth adjustment of deposit rates by Fujian Huadong Bank since April, with significant reductions in various term deposit rates, including a 45 basis point decrease for the 3-year personal term deposit rate [3] - The bank's previous adjustments included lowering the 3-year and 5-year personal term deposit rates to 2.8% and 2.9% respectively, and various other term rates were also reduced during April [3] Group 2 - Jilin Yilian Bank adjusted its fixed-term deposit rates starting May 3, with the 2-year rate decreased from 2.4% to 2.2%, the 3-year rate from 2.6% to 2.4%, and the 5-year rate from 2.5% to 2.3%, each by 20 basis points [4] - Since April, multiple private banks have announced interest rate cuts, reflecting a broader trend in the banking sector [4] - The People's Bank of China announced a reduction in the policy rate by 0.1 percentage points, which is expected to influence the loan market quotation rate (LPR) to decrease by the same margin, prompting commercial banks to lower deposit rates accordingly [4]

Core Viewpoint - The continuous reduction of deposit interest rates by private banks indicates a shift in their strategy due to narrowing net interest margins, regulatory constraints, and downward pressure on market interest rates [2][6][9] Group 1: Deposit Rate Adjustments - In May, Huatuo Bank and Yilian Bank announced further reductions in deposit rates, with Huatuo Bank lowering personal notice deposit rates to 0.8% and 1% for 1-day and 7-day deposits respectively [3] - Huatuo Bank has made multiple adjustments since April, with the maximum reduction for unit products reaching 90 basis points and for personal products 45 basis points [4] - Yilian Bank adjusted its fixed deposit rates for 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year terms down by 20 basis points, reflecting a broader trend among private banks to lower rates [4][5] Group 2: Competitive Landscape - The current highest deposit rates for some private banks have fallen to 1.6%, which is lower than many joint-stock banks and some state-owned banks [5] - The competitive advantage of private banks in attracting deposits through high interest rates is diminishing, leading to a shift towards wealth management products [6][7] Group 3: Financial Performance and Strategy - Private banks are facing slowing net profit growth and declining net interest margins, with a reported net profit of 18.8 billion yuan in Q4 2024, down 7.84% year-on-year [7][8] - Many private banks are now focusing on wealth management as a key growth area, with significant increases in fee and commission income reported [8] - The trend of lowering deposit rates is expected to continue as banks seek to manage funding costs and maintain stable interest margins [9]