Core Viewpoint - Several Chinese banks have announced a reduction in RMB deposit interest rates effective from May 21, 2025, indicating a trend towards lower interest rates in the banking sector [1][2]. Group 1: Interest Rate Adjustments - The seven joint-stock banks, including Ping An Bank, Industrial Bank, Minsheng Bank, CITIC Bank, Huaxia Bank, Guangfa Bank, and Pudong Development Bank, will lower the interest rate on demand deposits from 0.1% to 0.05%, a decrease of 5 basis points [1]. - The fixed deposit rates for 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year terms will be adjusted from 0.85%, 1.10%, and 1.30% to 0.70%, 0.95%, and 1.15%, respectively, each down by 15 basis points [1]. - For 3-year and 5-year fixed deposits, the rates will be reduced from 1.55% and 1.60% to 1.30% and 1.35%, representing a decrease of 25 basis points [1]. Group 2: Specific Bank Adjustments - Minsheng Bank will adjust its 2-year deposit rate from 1.30% to 1.15%, while the other six banks will lower their rates from 1.35% to 1.20%, a reduction of 15 basis points [2]. - Prior to this announcement, China Merchants Bank and Everbright Bank had already adjusted their deposit rates effective May 20, aligning their rates with the six major state-owned banks [2]. - After the adjustments, China Merchants Bank's fixed deposit rates for various terms will be set at 0.65%, 0.85%, 0.95%, 1.05%, 1.25%, and 1.30% for 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year deposits, respectively [2].

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 phenomenon of inverted deposit interest rates is spreading across various banks in China, including state-owned banks, joint-stock banks, and rural commercial banks, indicating a significant shift in the banking sector's approach to deposit management and interest rate strategies [2][6]. Group 1: Inverted Interest Rates - The inverted interest rate situation has expanded to rural commercial banks, with notable examples from major banks like Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and China Merchants Bank, where long-term deposit rates are lower than short-term rates [3][4]. - For instance, ICBC offers a three-year deposit rate of 1.90% and a five-year rate of 1.55%, resulting in a 35 basis point difference [4]. - Other banks, such as Ping An Bank and Guangzhou Rural Commercial Bank, also exhibit minimal differences between their short-term and long-term deposit rates, reflecting a broader trend in the banking sector [5][6]. Group 2: Reasons Behind the Inversion - The increase in inverted deposit rates is attributed to banks' internal decisions to optimize asset-liability management and reduce funding costs amid a slowing economy and weak corporate credit demand [6][7]. - Analysts suggest that banks are lowering long-term deposit rates to avoid the burden of high-interest liabilities in the future, aligning their asset and liability structures more effectively [6][8]. - The expectation of continued monetary easing by the central bank is influencing banks to adjust their deposit rates, as they anticipate a potential reduction in loan rates to support the real economy [7][9]. Group 3: Future Monetary Policy Outlook - The People's Bank of China has maintained the Loan Prime Rate (LPR) steady for five consecutive months, reflecting a cautious approach to monetary policy amid high funding costs and pressure on bank profitability [7][8]. - Analysts predict that while the timing of any LPR adjustments may be delayed, the overall direction remains towards monetary easing, with expectations for potential reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cuts and interest rate reductions in the near future [8][10]. - The average reserve requirement ratio for domestic financial institutions stands at 6.6%, indicating room for further reductions to support liquidity and lower financing costs [9][10].