焦炭成本支撑较强

Core Insights - Since mid-October, both coking coal futures and spot prices have risen, with futures reaching a peak of 1818.5 yuan/ton, approaching the year's high. However, recent market sentiment has weakened, leading to a price pullback while remaining at relatively high levels [1] - Coking coal supply remains stable at high levels, with average daily production at 645,900 tons and a capacity utilization rate of 73.44%. Despite a slight decrease in production, the overall supply remains robust due to downstream steel mills' restocking and decent shipment conditions from coking enterprises [2] - Coking coal demand continues to weaken, with average daily pig iron production dropping to 2,363,600 tons, marking a five-week decline. The profitability of steel mills has deteriorated, with only 45.02% of mills reporting profits, a drop of 23.38 percentage points over 12 weeks [3] Supply Dynamics - Coking coal supply is stabilizing at high levels, with production costs rising due to increasing coking coal prices. Despite price hikes by coking enterprises, profitability remains poor, with 64% of coking enterprises reporting losses [2][5] - The average daily production of coking coal is 1,903,300 tons, with a utilization rate of 84.78%. The low supply has led to a decrease in coal inventories, with raw coal inventory at 4,316,100 tons, down 122,600 tons from the previous month [5][8] Demand Trends - The demand for coking coal is declining, exacerbated by production cuts in steel mills. The overall steel industry remains under pressure, with high inventory levels and significant de-stocking pressure [3] - Despite a seasonal uptick in steel demand, it has not alleviated the underlying issues within the steel industry, leading to a continued decline in coking coal demand [3] Price Outlook - The coking coal market is characterized by a weak supply-demand balance, which is expected to exert downward pressure on coking coal prices. However, strong cost support from rising production costs may lead to a range-bound price movement [6]