钢材期货行情展望：库存压力不大 钢价维持高位震荡走势

Price and Basis - Futures prices have declined while the basis has strengthened, with steel billet prices down by 10 to 3080 yuan. The actual transaction price for rebar in East China is 3170 yuan per ton, with the October futures contract at a discount of 51 yuan to the spot price. Hot-rolled coil is priced at 3400 yuan per ton, with the main contract at a discount of 39 yuan to the spot price [1]. Cost and Profit - On the cost side, coking coal production has seen fluctuations, with overall operating rates and output not recovering significantly. After a decline in inventory, there are signs of a potential accumulation again. Iron ore inventories at ports have slightly increased, while steel production remains high, and seasonal demand for steel is declining. Expectations for a contraction in coking coal supply persist, and while iron ore demand remains high, a slight accumulation is expected, leading to a weaker cost support on a month-on-month basis. As prices weaken, steel profits are declining, with profits ranked from high to low as follows: steel billet > hot-rolled coil > rebar > cold-rolled coil [1]. Supply - From January to July, iron element production increased by 18 million tons, a growth rate of 3.1%. Month-on-month, August production rebounded compared to July, mainly due to a significant increase in daily scrap steel consumption. Current molten iron production is stable at 2.41 million tons, with daily scrap steel consumption at 55800 tons, up by 0.6% month-on-month. The total production of the five major materials increased by 64000 tons to 8.78 million tons. By product type, rebar production decreased by 58000 tons to 2.15 million tons, while hot-rolled coil production increased by 96000 tons to 3.25 million tons. Since July, production of the five major materials has exceeded demand, leading to inventory pressure due to last year's low production base in August [1][2]. Demand - From January to July, the apparent demand for the five major materials remained flat year-on-year (-0.2%), while the production decline was greater than the apparent demand (-1.3%). The increase in iron element production (+3%) is primarily directed towards non-five major materials and steel billets. Domestic demand has decreased year-on-year, while external demand has increased significantly, with direct and indirect steel exports rising. Overall steel demand has increased year-on-year, with average daily production rising and apparent demand remaining flat, while inventory has decreased year-on-year. Month-on-month, the seasonal decline was not significant, and the impact of tariffs on demand was offset by the increase in direct exports. Apparent demand for rebar has decreased, dragging down overall apparent demand. The apparent demand for the five major materials decreased by 22000 tons to 8.53 million tons, with rebar demand down by 5000 tons to 1.95 million tons, while hot-rolled coil demand increased by 6500 tons to 3.21 million tons [2]. Inventory - This week saw a significant accumulation of inventory, primarily among traders, with little increase in steel mill inventories. The inventory of the five major materials increased by 25000 tons to 14.41 million tons, with rebar inventory up by 20000 tons to 6.07 million tons and hot-rolled coil inventory up by 4000 tons to 3.6144 million tons. By product type, rebar supply has increased while demand has decreased, leading to significant inventory accumulation; for sheet materials, both supply and demand are weak, resulting in minimal inventory accumulation [2]. Outlook - Molten iron production remains stable, with weekly data indicating a slight increase in the production of the five major materials and a slowdown in inventory accumulation, alongside a rebound in apparent demand. Data shows signs of a bottoming out, but levels remain within the off-peak season. August demand saw a significant month-on-month decline, primarily due to poor rebar demand, affecting the spread between rebar and hot-rolled coil, which has widened to around 290. The market remains weak, with steel prices declining. There is an expectation for a rebound in demand during the peak season from September to October, and considering the situation of steel demand and coking coal supply, steel prices are expected to maintain a high-level oscillation pattern. A long position is suggested for trading, with October hot-rolled coil and rebar prices referenced at 3350 yuan and 3150 yuan, respectively [3][4].