China's life insurance sector is approaching a significant inflection point, as product pricing enters the 1.5% guaranteed rate era amid a persistent low interest environment.
As professional investors in Hong Kong seek flexible investment options, with downside protection features to support legacy planning, the insurers are providing policyholders an opportunity to address their goals whilst also capitalising on potential upside growth from tracking the performance of leading global indices.
Ping An Insurance has significantly increased its holdings in H-shares of major Chinese banks since the end of 2024, with total positions reaching approximately HK$180bn($23bn), according to Bloomberg calculations based on exchange filings.
Shanghai MediTrust Health Technology Co Ltd officially submitted its prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) on June 30, 2025, seeking an IPO. Goldman Sachs Asia, CICC, and HSBC are joint sponsors.
Recently, Investment & Pensions Europe (IPE) released its 2025 list of the world's 500 top asset managers. Chinese institutions made notable gains in this year's ranking, with 57 firms making the list and 13 insurance asset managers among them.
Ant Group has reduced its holdings in ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance, lowering its stake in the company's H-shares to 7.63%, according to a disclosure filed with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 24. The transaction involved the sale of over 33m shares and marks Ant Group's second reduction in ZhongAn holdings since its initial investment 12 years ago.
These are the highlights for events and updates across the insurance industry this week.
HDI Global has appointed Dr Christian Wegener as head of investment management.
FWD Group Holdings' (FWDGHL) bottom line, underpinned by sustained growth through both onshore and offshore channels in Hong Kong and a solid business presence in Thailand, is expected to continue to improve in 2025 according to Fitch Ratings. The group's growth is also expected to benefit from its established bancassurance channel.
Mr Reynaldo A Regalado, Insurance Commissioner of the Philippines, has been elected as the chairman of Asian Reinsurance Corporation (Asian Re).