Goldman Sachs(US:GS) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-12-04 19:04Core Viewpoint - The commodity price surge is expected to end, with a supply surplus storm projected to impact most industrial metals by 2026 [1][11]. Group 1: Copper - Goldman Sachs predicts a short-term oversupply of copper, with a forecasted surplus of 500,000 tons in 2025, leading to price difficulties in maintaining above $11,000 per ton [4][5]. - The long-term outlook for copper remains positive, with structural supply constraints and strong demand from sectors like energy transition and AI, supporting a price floor at $10,000 per ton [5][6]. - The average LME copper price forecast for the first half of 2026 has been raised from $10,415 to $10,710, with expectations of a slight price correction in the second half post-tariff implementation [5][6]. Group 2: Aluminum - Goldman Sachs maintains a bearish outlook on aluminum, predicting LME aluminum prices will drop to $2,350 per ton by Q4 2026 due to a significant supply surplus of 1.1 million tons [7][8]. - The anticipated supply surge is driven by new capacities from Indonesia and India, alongside increased production from Chinese overseas investments [7][8]. Group 3: Lithium - Despite a recent rebound in lithium prices, Goldman Sachs views this as a temporary phenomenon, forecasting a 23% decline to around $9,500 per ton by the end of 2026 due to increased supply from Africa and Australia [9][10]. - The short-term tightness in lithium supply is attributed to higher-than-expected demand for energy storage systems and operational pauses in some Chinese lithium mines [9]. Group 4: Iron Ore - The outlook for iron ore is bleak, with a projected increase in Chinese port inventories by 51 million tons in 2026, alongside a 1% decline in global seaborne demand [10]. - Goldman Sachs forecasts that iron ore prices will fall to $88 per ton by the end of 2026, driven by the need to eliminate high-cost supply from the market [10]. Group 5: Market Dynamics - The report emphasizes that the current rise in industrial metal prices is based on macroeconomic sentiment rather than solid fundamentals, indicating a potential market correction in 2026 [11][12]. - The year 2026 is anticipated to be a period of market differentiation, where only metals like copper, with genuine supply-demand tension, will remain resilient [12].