中国平安（601318）：1Q OPAT a slight beat; positive outlook for full-year NBV and life OPAT acceleration

中国平安(601318)

Ping An posted solid1Q results,with Group OPAT up7.6%YoY to RMB40.8bn,outpacing our estimate of RMB39.2bn(link).This increase can be attributed to1)aresilient L&H OPAT uptrend(+4.6%vs CMBI est:+4.5%);2)PAB profit turnaround(+3.0%);and3)a notable surge in AM profitability(+193.3%).Group NPAT fell7.4%YoY to RMB25bn,slightly better than our estimate of RMB24.3bn,due to heightenedmarket headwinds in1Q26.Group net asset value(NAV)grew1.8%from year-startto RMB1.02tn,in line with our forecast.Life NBV grew20.8%YoY to RMB15.6bn(vs.CMBI est:RMB15.4bn),primarily driven by new business sales(+45.5%YoY)partially offset by a softening margin(-4.8pct YoY).P&C UW performance was abeat,with COR down0.8pct YoY to95.8%and non-auto premium rising19.5%YoY,which exceeded the industry average growth of5.3%YoY in1Q26.Mgmt.mentioned in the call that achieving double-digit NBV growth in2026E is abaseline target,and we are positive on a high-teens NBV uptick and life OPATacceleration in2026E as CSM approaches an inflection point.Maintain BUY,with our SOTP-based H/A-share TP at HK$86/RMB75,implying0.83x FY26E P/EV.

1Q OPAT a slight beat,driven by L&H/PAB/AM.Group OPAT growth in1Q26was mainly driven by increases in Life&Health(+4.6%),Ping An Bank(+3.0%)andAM(+193.3%).L&H OPAT growth was broadly in line with our forecast,with newbusiness CSM likely to achieve a promising rise amid stable interest rates.Thebanking business returned to positive growth,driven by1)a stabilized NIM(1Q26:1.79%vs FY25:1.78%),and2)non-interest income growth from wealthmanagement and bond investments.AM OPAT amounted to RMB3.2bn in1Q26,nearly tripling from1Q25,thanks to upside from brokerage and asset managementbusinesses amid heightened equity volatility,which bolstered trading activity.Wemaintain our view that continued easing of the AM drag and expected LifeOPAT acceleration should drive the Group’s valuation re-rating over time.

L&H OPAT in-line;NBV rose on higher new business sales.Life NBV grew20.8%YoY to RMB15.6bn,driven by strong new policy sales(+45.5%)partiallyoffset by a4.8pct YoY decline in margin to23.5%.Mgmt.noted that this margincontraction was not due to product or channel skewness,but rather the fact thatthe comparable1Q25figures were not adjusted for changes in actuarialassumptions.Overall,NBV margin stood stable vs.the year-start level of23.4%.Bancassurance was the leading channel for NBV growth,with its contribution(together with community finance)rising6.8pct YoY to31%in1Q26.Agentheadcount declined5.4%from year-start to0.33mn,partly due to seasonality.Weexpect NBV to reach high-teens YoY growth in2026E led by new biz sales.

P&C underwriting beat;OPAT weighed by investment.P&C COR improved0.8pct YoY to95.8%in1Q26,better than our estimate of96.1%,due to lowerNAT CAT claims and continued expense rate controls across non-auto insurancelines.Total premium rose6.8%YoY to RMB91bn,with auto insurance down0.6%YoY to RMB53bn and non-auto up19.5%YoY to RMB38bn in1Q26.Per mgmt.,non-auto premium growth was mainly driven by health insurance.UW profit grew28.4%YoY to RMB3.5bn,but this was partially offset by a decline in investmentreturns,resulting in a13.4%YoY decrease in P&C OPAT in1Q26.

Maintain BUY with TP of HK$86/RMB75.The stock is trading at0.6x FY26E P/EVand0.8x FY26E P/B.We are positive on the prospect of Ping An’s core businessimprovement,including1)Life OPAT acceleration in2026E as CSM approachesthe inflection;2)PAB profit enhancement;and3)ongoing progress on AM de-risking.Maintain BUY with our SOTP-based TP at HK$86(H-share,unchanged)and RMB75(A-share,added),implying0.83x FY26E P/EV and1.2x FY26E P/B.