GUOTAI HAITONG SECURITIES·2025-08-25 07:39Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the steel industry [5]. Core Viewpoints - Demand is expected to gradually bottom out, and the supply side is beginning to show signs of market-driven clearance, indicating a potential recovery in the steel industry's fundamentals [3][4]. - The report anticipates that if supply policies are implemented, the speed of supply contraction will accelerate, leading to a quicker upward trend in the industry [3]. Summary by Sections Steel Market Overview - The apparent consumption of five major steel products reached 8.5299 million tons, an increase of 2.64% week-on-week [24]. - The total steel inventory was 14.4104 million tons, with a week-on-week increase of 2.25% [11]. - The operating rate of blast furnaces in 247 steel mills was 83.36%, a decrease of 0.23 percentage points week-on-week [28]. Production and Profitability - The total steel production was 8.7806 million tons, an increase of 0.73% week-on-week [30]. - The average gross profit for rebar was 243.7 CNY/ton, down 13.4% week-on-week, while hot-rolled coil gross profit was 201.7 CNY/ton, down 13.5% week-on-week [35]. Demand and Supply Dynamics - The report notes a decline in real estate demand, but infrastructure and manufacturing sectors are expected to maintain stable growth [3]. - Steel exports from China maintained a year-on-year growth of 9.2% in the first half of the year [3]. Raw Material Prices - Iron ore prices decreased, with the spot price dropping to 765 CNY/ton, a decline of 1.54% [42]. - Coking coal prices remained stable at 1430 CNY/ton, while coking prices increased to 1660 CNY/ton, a rise of 3.11% [42]. Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on leading companies with technological and product structure advantages, such as Baosteel and Hesteel, as well as companies with low valuations and high dividends like CITIC Special Steel [3].