Tianfeng Securities·2025-08-19 07:46Investment Rating - The industry rating is "Outperform the Market" (maintained rating) [5] Core Insights - The necessity for "anti-involution" in the cement industry remains, with a competitive landscape characterized by high concentration and state-owned enterprise dominance [1][12] - The cement industry is experiencing a significant oversupply, with a projected capacity utilization rate of only 53% in 2024, indicating a need for supply-side reforms to reduce actual capacity [3][22] - Short-term measures such as peak-shifting production will continue to support the industry, while medium-term strategies will focus on administrative measures to limit overproduction [4][30] Summary by Sections Supply Structure - The cement industry is primarily led by state-owned enterprises, with a concentration ratio (CR10) of 57% and an expected state-owned enterprise capacity share of around 45% in 2024 [1][12] - The top ten cement companies include four state-owned enterprises, which collectively hold about 71% of the capacity, facilitating coordinated efforts to stabilize prices and enhance efficiency [12][1] Industry Profitability - The industry is projected to achieve a total profit of 260 billion yuan in 2024, with a profit margin of approximately 4.1%, although this represents an 86% decline from the peak levels seen in previous years [16][20] - The worst period in early 2024 saw over 55% of companies reporting losses, but a recovery is anticipated in the fourth quarter, with profits expected to reach 150-160 billion yuan in the first half of 2025 [20][16] Supply and Demand Dynamics - The total cement supply has peaked at around 1.81 billion tons, but demand continues to decline, leading to a significant oversupply issue [22][3] - The expected demand bottom is estimated to be between 1.2 to 1.5 billion tons, indicating a potential decline of 18% to 34% from 2024 levels [22][3] Review of Previous Supply-Side Reforms - Previous reforms included a ban on new capacity and the promotion of peak-shifting production, which successfully reduced new clinker capacity additions from a billion-ton level to a few million tons [2][26] - The industry's profit recovery from 518 billion yuan in 2016 to a historical high of 1867 billion yuan in 2019 was largely due to these reforms [2][29] Future Anti-Involution Strategies - The future governance of "anti-involution" will involve a combination of market, administrative, and legal measures, with a strong emphasis on reducing excess capacity through administrative controls [4][30] - The carbon trading policy expected to be implemented by 2027 will further pressure high-emission capacities to exit the market, promoting a shift towards more efficient production methods [33][35]