Changjiang Securities·2025-12-01 11:42Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is Neutral, maintained [9] Core Views - The expectation of overseas interest rate cuts is strengthening, which may lead to a corresponding adjustment in domestic monetary policy. The reserve requirement ratio is expected to trend downward, positively impacting short-term steel prices. Historical data shows that after 10 instances of reserve requirement cuts since 2020, the average increase in rebar prices was 20, 42, 45, 41, and 26 CNY/ton in the first five trading days post-cut, indicating a strong likelihood of price increases in the short term [2][6]. Summary by Sections Supply and Demand Dynamics - Steel inventory is being reduced smoothly, and there is a positive outlook for the real estate sector, leading to a slight increase in steel prices. However, the profitability of steel companies has not shown significant improvement due to sustained high prices of iron ore and coke. It is expected that steel production will continue to decline as companies proactively reduce inventory and conduct maintenance towards the end of the year. Demand may also weaken seasonally [4][5]. - The apparent consumption of five major steel products increased by 0.12% year-on-year but decreased by 0.81% month-on-month. The production of five major steel products decreased by 2.20% year-on-year but increased by 0.74% month-on-month, with daily molten iron production dropping to 2.3468 million tons [4][5]. Price Trends - Recent price trends show that Shanghai rebar has risen to 3,260 CNY/ton, an increase of 30 CNY/ton, while hot-rolled steel has reached 3,270 CNY/ton, up by 20 CNY/ton. The estimated profit for rebar is -134 CNY/ton, with a lagging cost profit of -99 CNY/ton [5]. Long-term Outlook - The renewed overseas interest rate cut cycle is expected to stabilize medium-term demand expectations for manufacturing. Although direct export demand for steel is limited, there is significant indirect demand through downstream sectors such as machinery, automotive, and home appliances. If overseas manufacturing recovers, it could stabilize steel manufacturing demand. The demand side for steel is expected to remain stable in 2026, driven by reduced production and improved cost structures [7][8].