Orient Securities·2025-11-02 03:15Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" investment rating for the utility sector [4] Core Views - The thermal power sector continues to show high growth in performance, with significant improvements in profitability and cash flow [7][10] - The report indicates that the current coal price increase is nearing its end, and the pessimistic expectations for electricity prices are easing [7] - The utility sector is currently undervalued, with a notable decrease in fund holdings, suggesting potential investment opportunities [7][14] Summary by Sections Thermal Power Performance - In Q3 2025, the thermal power sector's gross margin reached 18.9%, above the historical average of 17.8%, with a year-on-year increase of 3.6 percentage points [7][10] - Total revenue for sample companies in Q3 2025 was 314.4 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.1% year-on-year, while net profit attributable to shareholders was 24.7 billion yuan, an increase of 38.3% [10][12] - The average price of Q5500 thermal coal at Qinhuangdao Port was 715 yuan/ton, reflecting a 10.6% increase compared to the previous quarter [7][10] Fund Holdings and Market Performance - As of Q3 2025, the utility sector's fund holdings dropped to 1.15% of total fund equity investments, a decrease of 0.55 percentage points [14] - The utility sector index rose by 0.6% during the week, outperforming the CSI 300 index by 1.0 percentage points [47] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on high-quality dividend assets within the utility sector, particularly thermal power, hydropower, and nuclear power [7] - Specific stocks recommended include Guodian Power (600795), Huadian International (600027), and Huaneng International (600011) for thermal power [7] - For hydropower, recommended stocks include Yangtze Power (600900) and Sichuan Investment Energy (600674) [7]