CATL(SZ:300750) Tong Hui Qi Huo·2025-09-16 07:38Report Summary 1. Investment Rating No investment rating for the industry is provided in the report. 2. Core View The short - term lithium carbonate market may maintain low - level fluctuations. The supply side remains rigid under the dominance of the spodumene route, and the resumption of production expectations suppresses the medium - term bullish sentiment. The demand side is supported by pre - holiday stockpiling and rising cell costs, but the peak in retail penetration restricts the upward space. The inventory depletion rhythm may be the key variable. If the weekly inventory reduction continues until the end of September, it may drive the futures price to test the 74,000 yuan/ton resistance level, but the breakthrough momentum is limited [3]. 3. Summary by Directory 3.1 Daily Market Summary - Market Data Changes: On September 15, the price of the lithium carbonate main contract slightly declined to 71,160 yuan/ton, a decrease of about 2.4%. The basis weakened to 1,140 yuan/ton. The main contract's open interest decreased from 351,000 lots to 309,000 lots, a decrease of 12%, and the trading volume shrank from 592,000 lots to 411,000 lots [1]. - Supply - Demand and Inventory: The domestic lithium carbonate capacity utilization rate remained stable at 66.41%. The resumption of production at CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine has limited impact before November. The supply mainly depends on the spodumene route, and the proportion of the lepidolite route has dropped to 15%. The demand growth rate has slowed down marginally. The retail volume of new energy vehicles decreased by 3% year - on - year in the first two weeks of September, although the wholesale volume increased by 5%. The lithium carbonate social inventory decreased from 140,000 tons to 139,000 tons, a decrease of 1.1% [2]. - Market Conclusion: The short - term lithium carbonate market may maintain low - level fluctuations. The inventory depletion rhythm may be the key variable. If the weekly inventory reduction continues until the end of September, it may drive the futures price to test the 74,000 yuan/ton resistance level, but the breakthrough power is limited [3]. 3.2 Industrial Chain Price Monitoring - Price Changes: The price of the lithium carbonate main contract increased by 2.14% from September 12 to September 15. The basis decreased by 150.88%. The open interest of the main contract increased by 0.01%, and the trading volume increased by 17.47%. The price of battery - grade lithium carbonate decreased by 0.28%. The prices of some downstream products such as ternary materials and some types of cells increased [5]. 3.3 Industrial Dynamics and Interpretation - Spot Market: On September 15, the SMM battery - grade lithium carbonate index price decreased by 18 yuan/ton. The market trading weakened. The proportion of lithium carbonate produced from spodumene has exceeded 60%, while that from lepidolite has dropped to 15%. The market in September shows a situation of simultaneous growth in supply and demand, with demand growing faster, and there may be a temporary supply shortage [6]. - Downstream Consumption: From September 1 - 7, the national retail volume of new energy passenger vehicles decreased by 3% year - on - year, and the wholesale volume increased by 5% year - on - year [7]. - Industry News: The price of cobalt intermediates continued to rise. Due to the Congo (Kinshasa) policy, there may be a shortage of cobalt intermediate raw materials in China in the future. On September 10, there were reports of the resumption of production at CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine, but the resumption time is uncertain [9][10].