Guohai Securities·2025-10-17 10:06Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Recommended" rating for the coal mining industry [2][39]. Core Insights - The long-term trend for coal prices is expected to be upward with fluctuations, driven by factors such as rising labor costs, increased safety and environmental investments, and higher prices for raw materials and fuels [6][39]. - The average pre-tax profit margin for the coal mining industry from 1999 to 2025 is 10%, with a fluctuation range of -3% to 25%, indicating reasonable returns [36]. Summary by Sections Historical Price Trends - Over the past 30 years, the price of North Port 5500 kcal thermal coal has shown an upward trend with increasing volatility, with price ranges shifting from 200-400 CNY/ton (1995-2005) to 400-1200 CNY/ton (2015-2025) [10][7]. Cost Structure Analysis - The coal industry's selling price is composed of total costs and pre-tax net profit. Total costs include sales costs, taxes (mainly resource tax), and period expenses [14][11]. - The average unit operating cost for major coal companies increased from 181 CNY/ton in 2016-2020 to 255 CNY/ton in 2024, reflecting an increase of nearly 80 CNY/ton [15][39]. Tax and Fee Changes - Resource tax rates have been raised in major coal-producing regions, with rates reaching the maximum of 10% in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi, which could increase costs by 10-20 CNY/ton if rates rise by 2-3 percentage points [32][39]. Company-Specific Cost Increases - For China Shenhua, the unit sales cost increased by 56 CNY/ton in 2024 compared to the 2016-2020 average, primarily due to rising labor costs and other expenses [20][18]. - Zhengzhou Coal Electricity's unit cost rose by 129 CNY/ton, significantly impacted by labor costs and maintenance expenses, with production volume decreasing by 35% compared to 2016 [31][29]. Profitability and Market Outlook - The report indicates that the coal price will continue to have upward pressure due to persistent cost increases and government taxation policies, despite potential market fluctuations [39][6].