Western Securities·2025-12-18 07:16Core Conclusions - The small metal sector is expected to benefit from the rising demand in the AI industry, presenting new investment opportunities [6] - The report maintains an "overweight" rating for the small metal sector, indicating a positive outlook for the industry [7] Industry Overview - The small metal sector significantly outperformed the market in 2025, with an annual cumulative return of 83.54%, surpassing the cumulative return of the Shenwan Nonferrous Metals Index (82.05%) and the CSI 300 Index (20%) [10][13] - The rare earth sector is projected to maintain an upward trend in 2026 due to strong demand recovery and supply-side policy constraints, indicating that the industry cycle is not yet over [10] - The tungsten market is entering a new price cycle driven by supply constraints and emerging demand, suggesting a strategic value for investors [10] - The antimony market is experiencing a new phase characterized by supply rigidities and policy relaxations, with potential price increases anticipated in 2026 [10] - The tin market is also entering a new phase with supply constraints and demand upgrades, indicating a resilient supply-demand balance [10] - The demand for new metal materials is expected to grow alongside the rapid development of the AI industry, particularly for permanent magnetic materials and high-end copper alloys [10] Investment Recommendations - Recommended stocks in the rare earth sector include Northern Rare Earth, Zhenghai Magnetic Materials, and Jinli Permanent Magnet, with a focus on China Rare Earth and Shenghe Resources [6] - For tungsten, attention is drawn to Zhongtung High-tech and Xiamen Tungsten [6] - In the antimony sector, recommended stocks include Huayu Mining, Huaxi Nonferrous, and Hunan Gold [6] - For tin, focus on Tin Industry Co. and Huaxi Nonferrous [6] - In the new materials sector, recommended stocks include Bowei Alloy and Srey New Materials [6] Supply and Demand Dynamics - The rare earth industry is experiencing a strong price increase driven by supply-side constraints and a recovery in export demand, with the price of praseodymium-neodymium oxide increasing by 45.49% in 2025 [31] - The global rare earth production is expected to grow moderately, with China's production leading the market, indicating a dominant position in both production and reserves [41] - Domestic supply indicators for light rare earths are showing a significant slowdown in growth, with the supply structure increasingly dominated by major players [48]