Chan Ye Xin Xi Wang·2025-12-15 02:11Industry Fundamentals - Coking coal downstream is about to start seasonal restocking, while thermal coal downstream restocking is nearly complete. Current coking coal inventory at sample steel mills is 7.95 million tons, down 0.45% week-on-week, while independent coking plants hold 8.83 million tons, up 3.02% week-on-week. This indicates that coking production has begun seasonal restocking, and steel mills are expected to follow suit [1] - Major power generation groups have coal inventories of 14.23 million tons, down 1.75% week-on-week, indicating that power plants have largely completed restocking and are entering a procurement off-season. The number of vessels at ports in the Bohai Rim has significantly decreased, reflecting reduced procurement demand from power plants [1] - The coal inventory at Bohai Rim ports is 29.08 million tons, up 5.07% week-on-week, suggesting that inventory pressure is gradually shifting to the midstream sector. Short-term coking coal prices are expected to stabilize and rebound, while thermal coal prices may still face some pressure [1] Key Events - The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) held a special meeting on December 12, emphasizing that central enterprises should ensure a good finish to this year's work and a strong start for next year. The meeting highlighted the need to focus on core responsibilities and resist "involution" competition, aiming for development driven by value creation [1] Price Comparison and Valuation - As of December 12, the ratio of coking coal futures closing price to the spot price of 5500 kcal thermal coal is 1.20, which is at a 6.7% percentile level since 2013, close to the historical low of 0.98 recorded in June 2025. This indicates that current coking coal prices are significantly lower than thermal coal prices [2] - The CITIC coal industry index PB is 1.43 times, with a ratio of 0.80 times compared to the PB of the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets, both at 57% and 42% percentile levels since 2013, indicating that the coal sector's valuation is at a historical median level [2] Investment Opportunities - From a seasonal perspective, downstream steel mills and coking plants are expected to gradually start restocking, which will support coking coal prices in the near term [3] - This year's restocking by steel mills and coking plants has been delayed, primarily due to downstream pessimism regarding future coking coal prices. However, with the catalyst of "anti-involution" messages, downstream demand may shift from wait-and-see to procurement [3] - The price ratio between coking coal and thermal coal is nearing historical lows, suggesting that any slight disturbance could lead to a significant rebound in coking coal prices [2][3]