May 11, 2007 – As announced by the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index Services Company this afternoon, Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (“Ping An” or the “Group”, HKEx: 2318; SSE: 601318) will become a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Index (HSI) effective June 4, 2007.
Ping An joins the HSI following the Group’s successful issue of A shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange this March. This major development demonstrates that, beyond recognition from Chinese domestic investors, international investors also strongly endorse Ping An for its remarkable results and substantial increase in shareholder value. Ping An became a constituent of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index on September 2004 and joined the Hang Seng China H-Financials Index on November 2006.
HSI constituent stocks are selected through extensive analysis and consultation with the HSI Advisory Committee. To qualify for selection, a company must be among those companies that constitute the top 90% of the total market value and the top 90% of the total turnover of all eligible shares listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. From the many eligible candidates, final selections are based on market value, turnover and financial performance.
As the HSI constituent stocks represent over 70% of the total capitalization of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the index acts as the main indicator of the overall performance of the Hong Kong stock market and therefore can significantly impact the value of others stocks in the market. The inclusion of new constituent stocks is widely watched by the market.
Ping An has performed remarkably since its public listing in Hong Kong in June 2004. As of May 11, 2007, the market capitalization of the company had surged more than 6 times in the past three years, while its stock price rose more than 340% during the same period, outperforming the HSI almost 5 times. In March, the Group successfully completed the issuance of A shares in China. The offering was the second largest ever in the A-Share market in China and the world’s largest for an insurance company. Ping An has continuously delivered excellent performance and achieved historical breakthroughs in its 2006 annual results. Under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the Group’s net profit reached RMB 8 billion in 2006. Total assets and total equity increased by 54.6% and 42.4% to RMB 494,309 million and RMB 47,750 million respectively. Basic earnings per share were RMB 1.27. Ping An currently ranks 22nd among the companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in terms of market capitalization, qualifying it to become a constituent stock of the HSI.
Commenting on the inclusion in the HSI, Sun Jianyi, Executive Vice President of Ping An Group, stated, “The HSI is one of the most important performance indicators in international financial markets and a benchmark for funds and portfolio managers. We feel honored that Ping An is being included in the HSI and would like to extend our gratitude to our investors and all our constituencies for their support over the years. The inclusion of Ping An in the HSI not only demonstrates recognition by international and regional financial communities, but also pays tribute to Ping An’s leadership in its sector and its performance as an investment. ”
Sun Jianyi concluded, “As an active participant in China’s capital markets development, Ping An will endeavor to become a leading global integrated financial services group by providing best-in-class products and services for customers. We will adhere to our “One Customer, Multiple Products” strategy to enhance value and maximize returns for our shareholders.”
