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Freedom251 › Blog › bank stocks

China Construction Bank vs. ICBC: How to Compare the Two Banks’ Stocks

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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There is no sound way to name CCB or ICBC the better-value stock without matching the share class, reporting period and market-price date. Start by choosing the Shanghai or Hong Kong listing, then compare the banks’ results, credit quality, capital, dividends and valuation using data from the same period. CCB’s verified interim figures here are for the first half of 2026; the ICBC figures available here are from its 2025 annual report, so they do not support a current head-to-head performance or valuation ranking.

Choose the listing before comparing the stocks

Both banks have shares listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong. China Construction Bank (CCB) trades in Shanghai as 601939 and in Hong Kong as 00939; Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) trades in Shanghai as 601398 and in Hong Kong as 1398. CCB’s investor-relations page and ICBC’s 2025 annual report identify these listings.

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These are different share classes on different exchanges, not interchangeable price quotes. Decide which class you could actually buy, and compare like with like: CCB’s Shanghai A-share against ICBC’s Shanghai A-share, or their Hong Kong H-shares against each other. Use prices in the same currency and the same date; if converting currencies, state the conversion basis. Broker availability and investor access depend on the reader’s location and account.

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Compare operating results over the same period

A bank’s operating performance is not the same thing as its stock performance. Net profit and operating income describe business results over a reporting period; they do not show whether the shares are cheap or how much an investor earned. The figures below are CCB’s, not evidence that it outperformed ICBC.

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CCB measure First half of 2026 What it tells you
Operating income RMB 426.333 billion; up 10.48% year over year Revenue-generating activity across the reported period
Net profit RMB 171.677 billion; up 5.56% year over year Profit after expenses and other reported items
Net interest margin (NIM) 1.37%; CCB said it was up 3 basis points versus 2025 and 1 basis point versus 2026 Q1 The spread between interest earned and paid, relative to interest-earning assets
Total assets RMB 47.33 trillion at the interim period end; up 3.72% from year-end 2025 Balance-sheet scale, not a measure of shareholder return

These figures come from CCB’s 2026 interim results release, published August 28, 2026. For a fair comparison, pull ICBC’s results for the same six-month period and align accounting definitions. Compare profit and income growth alongside NIM and the mix of interest and non-interest income: a single growth rate cannot explain what drove the result.

Assess credit risk and capital buffers together

For a bank, reported profit needs to be read alongside the quality of its loans and the capital available to absorb losses. A lower NPL ratio can be encouraging, but it is not conclusive on its own: compare the definition, movement over time, loan concentrations and reserve coverage as well.

Measure CCB at 2026 interim period end ICBC comparable 2026 interim figure
Non-performing loan (NPL) ratio 1.29% (CCB 2026 interim results) Not stated in the ICBC 2025 annual report; a same-period figure is needed
Allowance-to-NPL ratio 238.69% (CCB 2026 interim results) Not stated in the ICBC 2025 annual report; a same-period figure is needed
Capital adequacy ratio 19.42% (CCB 2026 interim results) Not stated in the ICBC 2025 annual report; a same-date figure is needed
Core tier-1 capital adequacy ratio 14.24% (CCB 2026 interim results) Not stated in the ICBC 2025 annual report; a same-date figure is needed

Do not call one bank safer or better capitalized from this table: its ICBC column is deliberately not a matched comparison. When you obtain both banks’ same-date disclosures, check the trends and definitions as well as the headline ratios.

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Separate declared dividends from proposals

A dividend comparison needs more than a per-share amount. Establish the financial year, share class, whether the payment was proposed or declared, approval status, record and payment dates, payout ratio and the investor’s applicable tax treatment. Amounts from different years should not be read as a yield comparison.

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Disclosure Amount and status What it can establish
CCB 2026 interim dividend Proposed RMB 2.010 per 10 shares, totaling about RMB 52.582 billion; subject to shareholder consideration in the August 28, 2026 release A proposal, not proof of an approved or paid dividend
ICBC 2025 full-year dividend Proposed RMB 3.103 per 10 ordinary shares, pre-tax, totaling about RMB 110.593 billion; the year-end portion was subject to shareholder approval A 2025 full-year proposal, not a matched comparison with CCB’s 2026 interim proposal
ICBC 2025 interim dividend The 2025 annual report states it was distributed; the amount is not stated here Evidence of a completed 2025 interim distribution, not an ICBC 2026 interim dividend

CCB’s interim amount and status are from its 2026 interim results release; ICBC’s disclosures are from its 2025 annual report. The cited ICBC report does not establish an ICBC 2026 interim dividend. To compare what a particular share class may return, check the issuer’s dividend notice and the exchange-specific per-share terms, then divide the relevant annualized dividend by a dated price for that same class. Do not treat a proposed payment as cash already received.

Use dated prices for valuation, not operating figures

No dated prices or matched valuation measures are established here, so there is no supported basis to say which bank currently has the lower valuation or higher dividend yield. For either exchange, calculate the measures from same-date prices and comparable earnings or book-value data for the same share class.

  • Price-to-earnings (P/E): share price divided by earnings per share. Specify whether earnings are trailing, forecast or another period, and use a consistent basis for both banks.
  • Price-to-book (P/B): share price divided by book value per share. Confirm that book values are for the same reporting date and share class.
  • Dividend yield: the relevant annual dividend per share divided by share price. Identify the dividend period and whether the amount is proposed, approved or paid; do not annualize an interim proposal without labeling that assumption.

Keep those market measures separate from the operating and regulatory ratios above. Stock prices can move independently of a bank’s latest reported results, and comparing a Shanghai quote with a Hong Kong quote without accounting for currency and share class can mislead.

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A practical CCB–ICBC comparison checklist

  1. Select the share class: record whether the comparison is Shanghai A-shares or Hong Kong H-shares, including ticker and quote currency.
  2. Align reporting periods: use the same half-year or full-year period for income, profit, NIM and credit metrics, and note each reporting date.
  3. Check risk and capital: compare NPL ratios, allowance coverage, capital adequacy and core tier-1 ratios using matching dates and definitions.
  4. Verify dividend status: distinguish interim from full-year distributions and proposals from approved or paid amounts; account for per-share terms and investor-specific taxes.
  5. Set a price date: calculate P/E, P/B and dividend yield for the same exchange class using a dated quote and clearly identified financial data.
  6. State what remains unmatched: if either bank’s figure is missing or from another period, leave the comparison unresolved rather than inferring a winner.

With the figures cited here, CCB’s first-half 2026 operating, credit and capital measures can be described, and dividend disclosures can be placed in their proper status and year. They cannot establish that CCB or ICBC currently performs better, carries less risk, pays a higher comparable yield or trades at a lower valuation.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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