新能源及有色金属日报：锌价维持震荡格局-20250509

1. Report Industry Investment Rating - Unilateral: Neutral. Arbitrage: Neutral. [5] 2. Core Viewpoints - Zinc prices maintain a volatile pattern. Consumption resilience and inventory changes are the main factors affecting zinc prices. The consumption side may face a test in May, with a possible sequential weakening in consumption after May. [1][4] 3. Summary by Related Catalogs 3.1 Important Data - Spot: LME zinc spot premium is -$36.93/ton. SMM Shanghai zinc spot price rose by 80 yuan/ton to 22,850 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 15 yuan/ton to 500 yuan/ton. SMM Guangdong zinc spot price rose by 80 yuan/ton to 22,850 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 15 yuan/ton to 500 yuan/ton. SMM Tianjin zinc spot price rose by 70 yuan/ton to 22,830 yuan/ton, and the spot premium fell by 25 yuan/ton to 480 yuan/ton. [2] - Futures: On May 8, 2025, the Shanghai zinc main contract opened at 22,245 yuan/ton, closed at 22,175 yuan/ton, down 175 yuan/ton from the previous trading day. The trading volume was 222,075 lots, an increase of 66,119 lots from the previous trading day, and the open interest was 119,907 lots, an increase of 3,206 lots. The highest price reached 22,455 yuan/ton, and the lowest price was 22,070 yuan/ton. [2] - Inventory: As of May 8, 2025, the total inventory of zinc ingots in seven regions monitored by SMM was 83,300 tons, an increase of 6,300 tons from the same period last week. As of the same date, LME zinc inventory was 170,650 tons, a decrease of 750 tons from the previous trading day. [3] 3.2 Market Analysis - Spot Market: Trading has been lukewarm. Rising absolute prices have dampened downstream purchasing enthusiasm, leading to a slight decline in spot premiums. However, overall inventory is low and supply is tight, so spot premiums remain at a high level. [4] - Cost: TC remains high and relatively stable, with limited upside potential in the future. But it does not affect smelters' profitability, so TC is not the main concern for now. [4] - Supply: The expected output in May is slightly lower, but still shows a high year - on - year growth. There may also be a delay in maintenance, so the supply pressure persists. [4] - Consumption: This is the current focus. The continuous decline in social inventory supports zinc prices. Consumption resilience and inventory changes are the main factors affecting zinc prices. Consumption in May may face a test, and there may be a sequential weakening in consumption after May due to the approaching end of the export rush window and over - drafting. [4]