ZYBANK's 2025 Performance: Heavy Reliance on Net Interest Income, NPL Ratio and Compliance Remain Pressures

Deep News
Mar 31

ZYBANK recently released its 2025 results, which overall presented a favorable picture. In 2025, the bank achieved operating income of RMB 265.07 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.1%. Net profit attributable to the parent company was RMB 35.89 billion, up 4.1% year-on-year. Notably, both revenue and net profit had declined in the first half of the year, indicating a strong recovery in the latter half.

For the full year, ZYBANK's net interest income grew 4.5% year-on-year to RMB 225.19 billion. This growth rate was 1.3 percentage points higher than the 3.2% increase seen in the first half. Net interest income accounted for nearly 85% of total operating revenue, serving as the key driver behind the reversal from decline to growth. Meanwhile, net fee and commission income, which represents income from intermediary business, increased by 2.1% for the full year, a positive shift from the 3.2% decline in the first half. However, net investment income fell 13.9% year-on-year to RMB 21.56 billion, significantly dragging down non-interest income.

Operating expenses for ZYBANK in 2025 amounted to RMB 105.01 billion, a slight increase of 0.5% year-on-year. Impairment losses reached RMB 137.15 billion, up 6.4% year-on-year. Within this, impairment losses on loans and advances surged 67.3% to RMB 64.25 billion, representing a new loss of RMB 25.85 billion.

Total assets stood at RMB 1,414.293 billion as of the end of the period, an increase of RMB 49.096 billion from the end of the previous year, representing growth of 3.6%. This growth rate is considered relatively low among listed city commercial banks. Guo Hao, Chairman of ZYBANK, stated in the 2025 report that the bank would adhere to the principles of banking operations, balance short-term benefits with long-term value, avoid simplistic size-based comparisons, and guide the entire bank to focus genuinely on "optimizing structure, strengthening foundations, and enhancing future potential."

Customer deposits reached RMB 981.289 billion, an increase of RMB 69.49 billion from the end of the previous year, up 7.6%. Total loans and advances amounted to RMB 740.597 billion, an increase of RMB 20.944 billion, or 2.9%. Corporate loans grew to RMB 421.838 billion, an increase of RMB 12.09 billion, or 2.9%. Notably, while the scale of guaranteed loans, and mortgage and pledge loans shrank, credit loans surged by RMB 32.46 billion to RMB 92.6 billion. This indicates that ZYBANK significantly increased lending to corporate clients based on their credit ratings last year.

In contrast, personal loans increased by RMB 7.588 billion to RMB 272.967 billion, a 2.9% increase. Personal consumer loans grew by RMB 4.4 billion to RMB 55.865 billion, likely driven by the strong performance of ZYBANK's consumer finance subsidiary. However, credit card loans decreased by nearly RMB 2.1 billion to RMB 18.538 billion.

As of the end of 2025, ZYBANK's non-performing loan (NPL) balance was RMB 14.39 billion, a slight decrease of RMB 68 million from the end of the previous year. The NPL ratio was 1.96%, showing a continuous downward trend after exceeding 2% in the previous two years. However, this ratio remains relatively high and continues to face pressure compared to other listed city commercial banks. Zhou Feng of ZYBANK stated in the 2025 report that the bank adheres to the principle that "asset quality is paramount," focusing efforts on controlling new risks and managing existing ones. The bank formulated credit policies for 27 specific industries and built an approval team capable of making informed and responsible decisions. Disposal of NPLs proved effective, successfully meeting the provincial government's targets for centralized recovery and revitalization.

It is noteworthy that ZYBANK's special-mention loans increased by RMB 1.04 billion to RMB 24.04 billion, reflecting potential risks of these loans deteriorating into NPLs. From an industry perspective, the real estate and wholesale/retail sectors exhibited both high NPL balances and ratios. Outstanding loans to these sectors were RMB 25 billion and RMB 43.34 billion, respectively, with corresponding NPLs of RMB 1.474 billion and RMB 1.537 billion, leading to NPL ratios of 5.89% and 3.55%. Notably, NPLs in the real estate sector increased by RMB 229 million last year, contributing significantly to the rise in the sector's NPL ratio.

Looking ahead to 2026, Chairman Guo Hao emphasized that ZYBANK will maintain historical patience and strategic resolve, avoiding both impulsive advances and passive waiting, and steadfastly pursuing difficult but correct paths. The bank will uphold a bottom-line mindset, prioritize risk prevention and control, supervise management in controlling new risks and addressing existing ones, strengthen its foundations, and achieve sustained improvement in asset quality through serving the real economy.

The bank's loan loss provision coverage ratio stood at 165.75% at the end of the period, an increase of 10.72 percentage points from the end of the previous year, indicating enhanced risk absorption capacity. However, for a listed city commercial bank, this level is still considered insufficient.

Additionally, according to relevant statistics, ZYBANK accumulated fines totaling RMB 4.4 million in 2025. The penalties were related to issues such as inadequate "three checks" in lending, diversion of loan funds, discrepancies between actual loan usage and contract terms, employees improperly borrowing from or lending to clients, inadequate verification by credit officers, charging fees exceeding published standards, imposing restrictive conditions in contracts that infringe on consumer choice, and irregularities in processing working capital loans.

Against the backdrop of ongoing stringent financial regulation, ZYBANK, as a trillion-yuan listed city commercial bank tasked with being a financial pioneer for the rise of the Central Plains region, must further strengthen internal controls, risk prevention, and compliant operations to enhance its competitiveness.

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