Soochow Securities·2025-11-03 15:35Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for the environmental protection industry [1] Core Views - The report emphasizes the importance of the "15th Five-Year Plan" focusing on green dual carbon goals, marketization, and debt management [4][8] - The solid waste sector shows strong performance in Q3 2025, with improved cash flow and profitability [4][12] Summary by Sections Industry Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for the environmental protection sector, highlighting strong fundamentals and growth potential [1] Key Investment Themes - The "15th Five-Year Plan" prioritizes green transformation, dual carbon goals, marketization, and debt management as key themes for the environmental sector [4][8] - The report suggests that the solid waste sector is experiencing robust growth, with Q3 2025 showing a 12% increase in net profit and a 2.7 percentage point rise in gross margin [4][12] Solid Waste Sector Insights - The solid waste sector's free cash flow improved significantly, with a net operating cash flow of 13.3 billion yuan in Q1-Q3 2025, representing a 28% increase [4][12] - The report highlights that the sector is entering a mature phase, with capital expenditures declining and dividend payouts increasing [12][14] Water Management Sector Insights - The water management sector is expected to experience a cash flow turning point, similar to the solid waste sector, with anticipated increases in free cash flow starting in 2026 [17][18] - The report notes that water pricing reforms are crucial for ensuring reasonable returns on investments, with cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen implementing price adjustments [17][18] Renewable Energy and Recycling Insights - The report indicates a 63.18% year-on-year increase in sales of new energy sanitation vehicles in the first nine months of 2025, with a penetration rate of 17.40% [20][28] - The report also highlights improvements in profitability for lithium battery recycling due to rising metal prices, with lithium carbonate prices reaching 80,600 yuan per ton [20][28]