Minmetals Securities·2025-10-09 02:13Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" [4] Core Viewpoints - The lithium mining industry is experiencing a gradual stabilization after a period of clearing out excess inventory, with signs of a cyclical turning point approaching [2][3] - The report highlights that the performance of listed lithium companies is under pressure due to declining lithium prices and increased inventory levels, but there are indications of potential recovery in the second half of 2025 [8][10] Market Analysis - Lithium prices fell to 60,000 yuan/ton in Q2 2025, down from 74,000 yuan/ton, reflecting a continued downward trend due to oversupply [10] - The production growth rate of lithium salts in China slowed, with Q2 2025 production at 299,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 4% [11] - Social inventory of lithium salts remained high at over 150,000 tons due to weak demand [16] Company Performance - The total operating revenue of the 12 listed lithium companies reached 35.36 billion yuan in Q2 2025, a year-on-year increase of 3% [21] - The net profit attributable to shareholders decreased by 9% year-on-year to 3.227 billion yuan in Q2 2025, impacted by reduced gross profit and inventory impairment losses [25] - The gross margin for the companies was 22.36%, showing a reversal trend, while the net margin was 9.13% [33][36] Financial Metrics - The total expenses for the 12 companies amounted to 2.287 billion yuan in Q2 2025, a decrease of 16.3% year-on-year [40] - Capital expenditures for the companies totaled 11.5 billion yuan in H1 2025, indicating a slowdown in investment as the industry approaches a cyclical bottom [53] - The debt repayment capability remains stable, with an average cash ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-asset ratio of 26.25% [61][62]