GOLDEN SUN SECURITIES·2025-05-18 10:50Investment Rating - The industry is rated as "Buy" for specific stocks and "Hold" for others, indicating a positive outlook for selected companies within the steel sector [8]. Core Insights - The report highlights a decrease in tariff uncertainty, which is expected to improve economic expectations. The U.S.-China trade tensions have entered a phase of temporary easing, although future uncertainties remain significant [2][4]. - The domestic steel production has shown signs of recovery, with a notable increase in apparent consumption of steel products, particularly rebar, which has returned to levels seen in the previous year [3][39]. - The report emphasizes the implementation of proactive macroeconomic policies, including fiscal and monetary measures, which are anticipated to support the steel industry's recovery and growth [4][12]. Summary by Sections Supply - The average daily pig iron production has decreased by 10,000 tons to 2,447,000 tons, with a slight decline in long-process production [11]. - The capacity utilization rate for blast furnaces across 247 steel mills is reported at 91.7%, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the previous period but an increase of 4.1 percentage points year-on-year [17]. Inventory - Total steel inventory has shifted from an increase to a decrease, with a week-on-week decline of 3.1%. The social inventory of five major steel products stands at 9,937,000 tons, down 3.8% from the previous week and down 28.5% year-on-year [24][26]. Demand - Apparent consumption of five major steel products has significantly improved, with a week-on-week increase of 8.1%. Rebar consumption reached 2,603,000 tons, up 21.7% from the previous week [39][48]. Raw Materials - Iron ore prices have risen, with the Platts 62% iron ore price index at $101.1 per ton, reflecting a week-on-week increase of 2.5% [57]. - The report notes a slight increase in the shipping volume of iron ore from Australia, while Brazilian shipments have decreased [57]. Prices and Profits - Steel prices are showing a strong performance, with the Myspic comprehensive steel price index at 123.6, up 0.9% week-on-week. The report anticipates that steel prices may gradually strengthen due to improving fundamentals driven by macroeconomic and industry policies [70][71]. - The current profit margins for long-process rebar and hot-rolled coils remain negative, indicating ongoing cost pressures [72]. Key Stocks - The report recommends several stocks for investment, including: - Hualing Steel (Buy) - Nanjing Steel (Buy) - Baosteel (Buy) - New Steel (Buy) - Jiuli Special Materials (Buy) - Xinxing Ductile Iron Pipes (Hold) [8].