Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" (maintained) [2] Core Insights - Since 2025, banks have shown a new characteristic of using short-term loans to replace bills for credit expansion, with significant seasonal growth in short-term loans [4][14] - The volatility of bill rates has decreased, and there is a notable inversion between short and long-term rates [24][34] - Investment recommendations focus on state-owned banks with controllable retail risks, joint-stock banks with high safety margins, and city and rural commercial banks with strong profit growth potential [7][36] Summary by Sections 1. New Characteristics of Credit Expansion - In 2025, banks have not prominently used bills to boost loans, but short-term loans have seen significant growth, with new additions of 1.44 trillion and 1.16 trillion yuan in March and June, respectively, exceeding historical averages [14][18] - Bill financing saw a notable contraction in June, with a decrease of 4.109 trillion yuan, significantly higher than the three-year average [14][18] 2. Decreased Volatility of Bill Rates - In the first half of 2025, the 6M national stock bill discount rate fluctuated between 0.98% and 1.60%, showing reduced volatility compared to 170 basis points in 2023 and 105 basis points in 2024 [24][29] - The weakening of the credit attribute of bills is attributed to banks preferring short-term loans for credit scale, leading to a lack of significant fluctuations in bill rates [24][29] 3. Investment Recommendations - Recommended stocks include state-owned banks with controllable retail risks, such as China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China [36] - Joint-stock banks with high safety margins and signs of clearing existing risks, such as CITIC Bank and China Merchants Bank, are also recommended [36] - City and rural commercial banks with growth potential and strong provisioning capabilities, including Jiangsu Bank and Hangzhou Bank, are highlighted [36]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the recent trends in the bill discounting market, highlighting the decline in 6M bill discount rates and the implications of interest rate inversion between short-term and long-term bills, indicating banks' strategic positioning for future credit needs [1][2][5]. Group 1: Interest Rate Trends - As of July 18, the 6M national bank bill discount rate fell to 0.81%, marking a significant drop of over 20 basis points since the beginning of July [1]. - The 1M and 3M bill discount rates have remained stable, fluctuating between 1.20% and 1.22% [1][5]. - The volatility of the 6M bill discount rate has decreased significantly in 2023, with fluctuations limited to a few dozen basis points compared to over 150 basis points in previous years [5]. Group 2: Market Dynamics - The inversion of interest rates between short-term and long-term bills may be attributed to banks' proactive measures to secure bill assets in anticipation of credit demand in January [2][6]. - The demand for cross-year bills has increased, with major banks actively purchasing 1-month maturity bills, leading to a gradual decline in their prices [7]. Group 3: Credit Demand and Bill Financing - Despite a lack of significant improvement in overall credit demand, the behavior of bill financing has weakened, with a reported decrease of 464 billion yuan in bill financing during the first half of the year [8][9]. - The trend indicates a shift in banks' strategies, with a notable increase in short-term loans, suggesting a change in the credit structure [9][10]. Group 4: Predictive Value of Bill Rates - The traditional correlation between bill rates and credit demand has weakened, as evidenced by instances where rising bill rates did not align with expected credit growth [10]. - The article notes that the relationship between bill rates and actual credit issuance has diverged, indicating that bill rates may no longer serve as reliable indicators of future credit trends [10].

Investment Rating - Industry Rating: Outperform the Market (Maintain Rating) [4] Core Insights - The trend of credit "balance sheet reduction" is accelerating, with significant changes in total volume, structure, institutions, and pace observed in the first five months of the year [9][18] - The effective credit demand remains weak, leading to a strong policy-driven effect on credit issuance, particularly among small and medium-sized banks [9][10] - The loan interest rate decline has significantly slowed down, indicating an improvement in the supply-demand relationship for credit [14][18] Summary by Sections 1. Characteristics of Credit Issuance This Year - The total amount of new loans in Q1 was nearly 10 trillion, with a year-on-year increase, but the monthly new loans in April and May hit historical lows [9][10] - The structure of credit issuance shows a rise in short-term loans for enterprises while long-term loans are declining, indicating a credit rush phenomenon during the "opening red" period [9][10] - Policy banks are expected to maintain a higher loan issuance rate compared to commercial banks, which are experiencing a more pronounced reduction in credit [10][12] 2. Characteristics of Deposit Growth This Year - M2 growth remains high at 8%, but signs of fund circulation are emerging, with banks engaging in high-cost interbank borrowing while offering low rates for repurchase agreements [19][20] - The deposit generation rate from loans is weak, with a historical low gap between corporate loans and deposits [25][26] - The average duration of deposits is declining as banks adjust their liability structures to mitigate interest rate risks [26][29] 3. Market Implications - The ongoing trend of credit "balance sheet reduction" suggests a friendly monetary environment, with low funding rates expected to persist [30][33] - The emergence of fund circulation phenomena necessitates attention to potential marginal adjustments in monetary policy by the central bank [30][29] - The anticipated limited downward adjustment in LPR and loan rates in the second half of the year may lead to an increase in loan spreads despite a decrease in LPR [33][30]