On March 23, CITIC Bank held its 2025 performance briefing in Beijing. As the first listed bank to release annual results in the A-share market this year, the bank reported operating revenue of 212.475 billion yuan, a slight decrease of 0.55% year-on-year, and net profit attributable to shareholders of 70.618 billion yuan, up 2.98% from the previous year. By the end of 2025, the bank's total assets exceeded 10 trillion yuan for the first time. During the briefing, management elaborated on the latest achievements and future development strategies of this "new 10 trillion yuan bank."
The performance review highlighted seven key areas, covering net profit growth and dividends, revenue stabilization and cost reduction, liability structure optimization, light-capital transformation, asset quality, technology investment, and brand image. In terms of dividends, CITIC Bank plans to increase cash dividends to 21.2 billion yuan in 2025, accounting for 31.75% of net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders, up 1.2 percentage points from 2024. Both the dividend amount and ratio reached record highs.
Management emphasized measures taken to stabilize revenue and reduce costs. These efforts have created room for development, effectively narrowing the decline in operating revenue, with liability operations serving as a buffer against low interest margins. Operating revenue fell by 0.55% year-on-year in 2025, with net interest income down 1.51% to 144.469 billion yuan, while non-interest net income rose 1.55% to 68.006 billion yuan. Wealth management provided solid support, as net fee and commission income increased by 5.58% to 32.772 billion yuan, with wealth management fees surging over 45% to 6.135 billion yuan.
On cost control, the bank maintained a balanced approach to liability volume and pricing, with a rational deposit structure. Corporate demand deposits accounted for 46%, ranking among the top two in joint-stock banks, while retail demand deposits rose to 27%, up 3.2 percentage points over two years. The bank also reduced high-cost deposits and enhanced transaction settlement capabilities. By year-end, the interest-bearing liability cost ratio stood at 1.61%, down 0.41 percentage points year-on-year, with the deposit cost ratio at 1.52%, a decrease of 0.37 percentage points. The net interest margin stabilized at 1.63%, down 14 basis points year-on-year, consistent with the first half of 2025.
CITIC Bank achieved a significant milestone as total assets grew 6.28% to 10.131028 trillion yuan by the end of 2025, surpassing the 10 trillion yuan threshold. However, this growth brought new challenges. The non-performing loan ratio improved slightly to 1.15%, down 0.01 percentage points from the previous year. Notably, retail credit risks increased, with the non-performing ratio for personal consumption loans (excluding credit cards) rising to 2.8%, up 0.66 percentage points. A vice president acknowledged that risk control pressures primarily stem from retail loans, a common industry issue. Since 2024, the bank has conducted systematic reviews, strengthened joint risk prevention mechanisms, and enhanced full-process credit management to improve customer acquisition and risk control capabilities. Incremental risks have shown notable improvement, with key product trends turning positive, supporting confidence in stabilizing retail asset quality.
Retail banking revenue and contribution to total revenue declined in 2025. The bank remains committed to retail business development, focusing on cyclical credit risks, leveraging wealth management expansion, and strengthening system capabilities. Retail business will continue to be a stable contributor, with an emphasis on overcoming challenges rather than reducing its strategic importance.
In technology, CITIC Bank is shifting from an AI-First to an AI-Fast approach, maintaining high investment in digital transformation. Initiatives in 2025 yielded tangible benefits in cost reduction, efficiency gains, risk control, and customer experience. For example, the bank's Galaxy system enabled global unified credit approval, addressing industry-wide risk management challenges. A comprehensive AI initiative, led by senior management, aims to integrate AI into all business decisions and operations within two years. By the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, over 90% of core business processes are targeted for AI-driven transformation, moving from AI-assisted to AI-native operations.
Looking ahead to 2026, CITIC Bank will pursue a "Three-Three Strategy," focusing on excellence in wealth management, comprehensive financing, and investment trading, while building leading advantages in payment settlement, cross-border services, and digital intelligence. This follows previous strategies such as the "Five Leading Banks" and "342 Core Strengthening Initiative."