Soochow Securities·2025-06-23 05:02Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the utility sector [1]. Core Insights - In May 2025, the total electricity consumption increased by 4.4% year-on-year, with a total of 809.6 billion kWh consumed [4][6]. - The electricity price in May 2025 saw a year-on-year decrease of 3% but a slight month-on-month increase of 0.4% [40]. - The report highlights significant growth in various sectors, with the first industry showing an 8.4% increase, the second industry at 2.1%, and the third industry at 9.4% [4][13]. Summary by Sections 1. Market Review - The SW utility index decreased by 1.13% during the week of June 16-20, 2025, with notable declines in nuclear, water, and thermal power sectors [9][12]. 2. Electricity Sector Tracking 2.1. Electricity Consumption - Total electricity consumption from January to April 2025 reached 3.16 trillion kWh, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 3.1% [13]. - The growth rates for different sectors were: first industry +10.0%, second industry +2.3%, third industry +6.0%, and urban-rural residential consumption +2.5% [13][14]. 2.2. Power Generation - Cumulative power generation from January to April 2025 was 2.98 trillion kWh, with a slight year-on-year increase of 0.1% [22]. - The breakdown of generation by source showed thermal power down by 4.1%, water power up by 2.2%, nuclear power up by 12.7%, wind power up by 10.9%, and solar power up by 19.5% [22]. 2.3. Electricity Prices - The average grid purchase price in May 2025 was 394 RMB/MWh, down 3% year-on-year [40]. 2.4. Thermal Power - As of June 20, 2025, the price of thermal coal was 609 RMB/ton, a decrease of 29.84% year-on-year [45]. - The cumulative installed capacity of thermal power reached 1.46 billion kW, with a year-on-year increase of 4.1% [47]. 2.5. Hydropower - The water level at the Three Gorges Reservoir was 149.15 meters, consistent with previous years, and inflow and outflow rates increased by 19.72% and 63.96% respectively [53]. 2.6. Nuclear Power - In 2024, 11 new nuclear units were approved, indicating a positive growth trajectory for the sector [22]. 2.7. Renewable Energy - Wind and solar power saw significant increases in installed capacity, with wind power up by 18.5% and solar power up by 74.6% [22]. 3. Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on investment opportunities in hydropower and thermal power during the peak summer season, recommending specific companies such as China Yangtze Power and Huaneng International [4].