智通财经网·2025-10-27 02:50Core Viewpoint - The steel industry is rated "overweight" by Guotai Junan, with a long-term trend towards increased industry concentration and high-quality development, benefiting companies with product structure and cost advantages [1] Group 1: Demand and Supply Dynamics - Steel consumption for the week of October 20-24, 2025, reached 8.9273 million tons, an increase of 173,200 tons from the previous week, with construction steel consumption at 3.1526 million tons and plate steel consumption at 5.7747 million tons [2] - Total steel production for the same week was 8.6532 million tons, up 83,700 tons, while total inventory decreased by 274,100 tons to 15.5485 million tons, maintaining a low level [2] - The operating rate of blast furnaces in 247 steel mills was 84.71%, an increase of 0.44 percentage points, while electric furnace operating rates remained stable at 60.9% [2] Group 2: Profitability Trends - The average gross profit for rebar was 126.1 CNY/ton, up 14.5 CNY/ton, while hot-rolled coil gross profit decreased by 5.5 CNY/ton to 16.1 CNY/ton [3] - The profitability rate for 247 steel companies was 47.62%, a decrease of 7.79% [3] - Expectations indicate that iron ore production will accelerate, leading to a gradual easing of iron ore prices, which may improve cost constraints in the steel industry [3] Group 3: Future Outlook - Demand is expected to stabilize, with a reduction in the negative impact of the real estate sector on steel demand, while construction and manufacturing sectors are anticipated to see steady growth [4] - The steel export volume from January to September maintained a year-on-year increase [4] - The government has implemented policies to reduce production, supporting advanced enterprises and phasing out inefficient capacities, which is expected to lead to a gradual recovery in the steel market [4]