Huachuang Securities·2025-05-19 00:50Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommend" rating for the chemical industry, particularly focusing on new materials [1]. Core Insights - The chemical industry is experiencing a recovery in prices due to easing trade tensions between China and the U.S., leading to a replenishment window for trade [9]. - The report highlights a significant year-on-year increase of 49% in the production of power and other batteries in April, despite a slight month-on-month decline of 0.03% [1][13]. - The report emphasizes the importance of new materials, particularly those that are domestically produced and can replace imports, as a key investment opportunity [10]. Industry Overview - The chemical industry has a total market capitalization of approximately 426.56 billion yuan, with 486 listed companies [1]. - The Huachuang Chemical Industry Index stands at 79.16, reflecting a week-on-week increase of 0.95% but a year-on-year decrease of 21.44% [20][22]. - The report notes that the industry price percentile is at 21.88% over the past decade, with a slight increase of 0.37% week-on-week [9][20]. New Materials Sector - The new materials sector has shown a week-on-week increase of 0.26%, underperforming compared to the basic chemical sector, which increased by 1.21% [11][29]. - The report identifies specific companies in the new materials sector that are recommended for investment, including Ruifeng New Materials, Tongyi Zhong, and Lianlong [9]. - The report also mentions the impact of regulatory changes on the safety standards for power batteries, which will be enforced starting July 1, 2026, pushing companies to enhance their battery management systems [13][14]. Price Movements - The report indicates that nitrogen prices increased by 2.97%, while electronic-grade sulfuric acid saw a significant drop of 11.90% [11][26]. - The report provides a detailed overview of price changes in various materials, highlighting both increases and decreases across different sectors [27]. Market Performance - The report notes that the new materials sector is expected to benefit from the ongoing trends in domestic production and import substitution, particularly in high-demand areas such as robotics and renewable energy materials [10][15]. - The report also highlights the performance of specific stocks within the new materials sector, noting both the top gainers and losers for the week [29].