Morningstar has released a research report maintaining its fair value estimate of HK$84 for Ping An (02318). The company's post-tax operating profit margin is projected to accelerate to 10% by 2025, primarily driven by improved underwriting profits in the property and casualty insurance segment, benefiting from reduced catastrophe losses, alongside a decrease in losses from the asset management business.

The company's performance aligns with expectations, highlighting improvements in cross-border insurance operations and a reduction in risks within its banking and asset management divisions. This supports Morningstar's forecast that Ping An will achieve high single-digit growth in its post-tax operating profit margin by 2030.

Ping An's bancassurance business only began expanding beyond its subsidiary Ping An Bank in 2023. However, the bancassurance margin has already reached 29%, comparable to AIA's (01299) 35% and nearly double the approximate 15% margin of domestic peers. Ping An leads the industry in terms of new business value generated from its bancassurance operations.

The new business value from Ping An's bancassurance segment is projected to grow by 139% in 2025, with an expected increase of over 40% in 2026. Meanwhile, the new business value from its agency force grew by 10%, with agent headcount maintaining double-digit growth since 2023. It is anticipated that this growth rate will rise to around 15% by 2026 as participating products gain wider market acceptance.