1Q26: Investment Weighed on Profit
发布时间:2026-05-03 来源:华泰证券
PICC Group's 1Q26 attributable net profit(NP)fell by 31.4%YoY to RMB8,814mn,which we attribute mainly to weak investment income.For 1Q26,the group's total investment yield was 0.5%(unannualized),having fallen sharply YoY per our estimate.By segment,life insurance NBV growth remained healthy,and property&casualty(P&C)underwriting performance improved marginally.For 1Q26,NBV rose by 21.0%YoY.The YoY improvement in NBV margin was likely driven by ahigher proportion of regular-pay premiums,lower pricing rates,and the alignment of reported rates and actual practices.Combined first-year premiums(FYP)for life and health(L&H)insurance grew by 2%YoY and remained healthy.For P&C insurance,in 1Q26,the combined ratio(COR)dipped 0.3pp YoY to 94.2%,and underwriting profit grew by 7.5%YoY to RMB7,154mn.Considering the company's life insurance NBV growth could remain robust and P&C underwriting performance is improving,we maintain our BUY rating.
L&H insurance:NBV growth robust
For 1Q26,L&H insurance NBV grew by 21.0%YoY to RMB2bn,while life insurance FYP fell by roughly 13%YoY,which we attribute mainly to a54%YoY fall in single premiums for long-term insurance.However,FYP for long-term regular-pay insurance increased by 85%YoY,indicating robust growth in regular-pay product demand and business mix optimization.The decline in FYP coupled with rapid NBV growth reflects an improved NBV margin,which we attribute mainly to ahigher proportion of regular-pay premiums,lower pricing rates,and the alignment of reported rates and actual practices.For health insurance,1Q26 FYP rose by roughly 17%YoY.Combined FYP for L&H insurance grew by roughly 2%YoY,supported by the expansion of health insurance and strong growth of regular-pay life insurance.For 1Q26,L&H insurance NP fell by 35.4%YoY to RMB3,930mn,which we attribute to investment fluctuations.We expect the company's 2026 L&H insurance NBV to grow by 19%YoY.
P&C insurance:underwriting performance improved
For 1Q26,the company's COR dipped 0.3pp YoY to 94.2%.On top of robust premium growth,underwriting profit rose by 7.5%YoY to RMB7,154mn,showing acontinued improvement in underwriting profitability.For auto insurance,1Q26 premiums remained flat YoY at RMB71,700mn.Considering that China's P&C industry's auto insurance premiums edged down by 0.4%YoY in 1Q26,we believe that the company's market share might have increased.Auto insurance underwriting performance improved,driven by continuous expense ratio optimization.For non-auto insurance,1Q26 premiums grew by 2.4%YoY to roughly RMB111,300mn,outpacing auto insurance.Accident&health insurance/liability insurance premiums rose by 6.5/4.6%YoY,serving as the main growth drivers.The company's non-auto insurance underwriting performance improved marginally,which we attribute to alower loss ratio.We estimate the company's 2026 P&C COR of c.97%.
Earnings forecasts and valuation
Factoring in volatile investment returns,we cut our 2026/2027/2028 EPS forecast by 7/6/6%to RMB1.12/1.24/1.36.We maintain our DCF-based A-/H-share target prices at RMB10/HKD8.Considering the company's robust NBV growth and strong P&C underwriting capabilities,we maintain our BUY rating on the shares.
Risks:Slower NBV growth than we expect,slowed P&C premium growth,a sharp COR hike,and heavy investment losses.