China Life Insurance Co (SHSE:601628) Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 2.39 (As of Aug. 25, 2026) — 11% Below Median

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

SHSE:601628 China Life Insurance Co Ltd SHSE:601628
61 GF Score
Price ¥37.60
GF Value ¥47.38
Valuation Modestly Undervalued
! 1 Warning Sign
View Full Analysis

What is China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio?

China Life Insurance Co SHSE:601628 -0.11% 61 Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.39 as of Aug. 25, 2026, which is 11% below its 10-year median of 2.70. GuruFocus rates SHSE:601628 with a GF Score™ of 61/100 and a GF Value™ of ¥47.38 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 413 Insurance companies, China Life Insurance Co ranks worse than 74.82% on this metric.

As of today (2026-08-25), China Life Insurance Co's current share price is ¥37.60. China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was ¥15.71. China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is 2.39.

The historical rank and industry rank for China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio or its related term are showing as below:

SHSE:601628' s Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.87   Med: 2.7   Max: 4.42
Current: 2.39

During the past years, China Life Insurance Co's highest Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio was 4.42. The lowest was 1.87. And the median was 2.70.

SHSE:601628's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is ranked worse than
74.82% of 413 companies
in the Insurance industry
Industry Median: 1.39 vs SHSE:601628: 2.39

The Shiller PE Ratio was first used by professor Robert Shiller. He uses E10 for his Shiller PE Ratio calculation. E10 is the average of the inflation adjusted earnings per share of a company over the past 10 years. The similar calculation is applied by GuruFocus to calculate the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio. The Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share is the average of the inflation adjusted book value per share of a company over the past 10 years.

China Life Insurance Co's adjusted book value per share data for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was ¥21.166. Add all the adjusted book value per share for the past 10 years together and divide the count will get our Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share, which is ¥15.71 for the trailing ten years ended in Mar. 2026.

Shiller PE for Stocks: The True Measure of Stock Valuation


China Life Insurance Co  (SHSE:601628) Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Explanation

Compared with the regular PB Ratio, which works poorly for cyclical businesses, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio smoothed out the fluctuations of book value during business cycles. Therefore it is more accurate in reflecting the valuation of the company.

If a company has consistent business performance, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio should give similar results to regular PB Ratio.


China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Related Terms


China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Chart

China Life Insurance Co Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 2.43 2.79 2.06 2.88 2.95

China Life Insurance Co Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 2.55 2.77 2.61 2.95 2.31

SHSE:601628 vs AFL, MET, PRU: Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Comparison

For the Insurance - Life subindustry, China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio vs Insurance Industry

For the Insurance industry and Financial Services sector, China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio falls into.


SHSE:601628
61GF Score
China Life Insurance Co Ltd SHSE:601628
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

China Life Insurance Co Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio Calculation

Like the Shiller PE Ratio, the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio takes the Book Value per Share from the past 10 years, adjusts it for inflation, and then calculates the average. This average is then used for the P/B calculation. Because it considers this 10-year average, it's often referred to as the CAPB Ratio.

The Shiller PE Ratio was first used by professor Robert Shiller to measure the valuation of the overall market. The similar calculation is applied by GuruFocus to calculate the Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio.

China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for today is calculated as

Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio=Share Price/ Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share
=37.60/15.71
=2.39

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

For example, China Life Insurance Co's adjusted Book Value per Share data for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was:

Adj_Book=Book Value per Share/CPI of Mar. 2026 (Change)*Current CPI (Mar. 2026)
=21.166/116.3033*116.3033
=21.166

Current CPI (Mar. 2026) = 116.3033.

China Life Insurance Co Quarterly Data

Book Value per Share CPI Adj_Book
201606 10.718 101.400 12.293
201609 10.931 102.400 12.415
201612 10.742 102.600 12.177
201703 10.935 103.200 12.323
201706 10.918 103.100 12.316
201709 11.421 104.100 12.760
201712 11.355 104.500 12.638
201803 11.864 105.300 13.104
201806 11.428 104.900 12.670
201809 11.689 106.600 12.753
201812 11.264 106.500 12.301
201903 12.891 107.700 13.921
201906 13.035 107.700 14.076
201909 13.754 109.800 14.569
201912 14.285 111.200 14.941
202003 14.637 112.300 15.159
202006 14.715 110.400 15.502
202009 14.771 111.700 15.380
202012 15.923 111.500 16.609
202103 16.549 112.662 17.084
202106 16.680 111.769 17.357
202109 16.658 112.215 17.265
202112 16.949 113.108 17.428
202203 16.455 114.335 16.738
202206 16.977 114.558 17.236
202209 16.043 115.339 16.177
202212 15.432 115.116 15.591
202303 16.309 115.116 16.477
202306 15.898 114.558 16.140
202309 15.634 115.339 15.765
202312 11.597 114.781 11.751
202403 16.997 115.227 17.156
202406 17.472 114.781 17.704
202409 20.050 115.785 20.140
202412 18.032 114.893 18.253
202503 18.840 115.116 19.034
202506 18.526 114.907 18.751
202509 22.142 115.471 22.302
202512 21.058 115.832 21.144
202603 21.166 116.303 21.166

Add all the adjusted book value per share together and divide the count will get our Cyclically Adjusted Book per Share.

Please note that we use the CPI data of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the CPI data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the CPI data of the United States as default.

What does a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.39 mean?
China Life Insurance Co (SHSE:601628) has a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.39 as of Aug. 25, 2026. Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's inflation-adjusted book value per share over a 10-year period. View historical data on China Life Insurance Co and its competitors. This is 11% below median its historical median of 2.70. Over the past decade, China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 1.87 to 4.42. According to the industry distribution chart, China Life Insurance Co ranks #309 out of 413 companies in the Insurance industry, placing it in the top 74.8%.
Is China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio too high?
China Life Insurance Co's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.39 is 11% below median its 10-year median of 2.70. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.87 to a high of 4.42. The Insurance industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.39. China Life Insurance Co's value of 2.39 is 71.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, China Life Insurance Co ranks #309 out of 413 companies in the Insurance industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, China Life Insurance Co has a GF Score™ of 61/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does China Life Insurance Co's Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio compare to AFL and MET?
According to the Insurance industry distribution chart, China Life Insurance Co ranks #309 out of 413 companies for Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio. This places China Life Insurance Co in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.39. China Life Insurance Co's value of 2.39 is 71.9% above this benchmark. Historically, China Life Insurance Co's own Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio has ranged from 1.87 to 4.42 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.70 vs. the industry median of 1.39, China Life Insurance Co has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio for an Insurance company?
The median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio among Insurance companies is 1.39, based on 413 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. China Life Insurance Co's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio of 2.39 is 71.9% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio mean?
A high Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's inflation-adjusted book value per share over a 10-year period. View historical data on China Life Insurance Co and its competitors. For the Insurance industry, the median Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 1.39 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. China Life Insurance Co's current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.39, which is 11% below median its own 10-year median of 2.70. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is China Life Insurance Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Life Insurance Co (SHSE:601628) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is ¥47.38, compared to a current price of ¥37.60 — trading 20.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.39, which is 11% below median its 10-year median of 2.70 and 71.9% above the Insurance industry median of 1.39. China Life Insurance Co's overall GF Score™ is 61/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio calculated?
Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For China Life Insurance Co (SHSE:601628), the current Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is 2.39 as of Aug. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is China Life Insurance Co (SHSE:601628) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, China Life Insurance Co stock appears to be undervalued. The current stock price of ¥37.60 is trading 20.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of ¥47.38. GuruFocus considers China Life Insurance Co to be Modestly Undervalued.

Key valuation signals for SHSE:601628:

  • Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio: 2.39 (11% below median its 10-year median of 2.70)
  • GF Value™: ¥47.38 vs. price of ¥37.60 (20.6% below fair value)
  • GF Score™: 61/100 with 1 warning sign
  • Industry Position: 71.9% above the Insurance median (#309 of 413)

No single metric tells the full story. See the SHSE:601628 stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


China Life Insurance Co Business Description

Address 16, Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, CHN, 100033
As the largest life insurance company in China, China Life commands about 16% market share by end-2024. The firm offers group and individual life insurance through exclusive agents, bancassurance, and other marketing platforms. While the bulk of profits stem from life insurance policies, additional operations include short-term policies such as accident and health insurance. The company is focusing on building a senior-care ecosystem and reforming a new agent team for long-term growth.
61GF Score

Get the complete analysis for SHSE:601628

Cyclically Adjusted PB Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

¥37.60
Price
¥47.38
GF Value