Orient Securities·2025-12-21 09:45Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" outlook for the utility sector [4] Core Views - The growth rate of electricity generation is slowing down, while coal prices continue to decline [2] - The utility sector is seen as a defensive asset with low valuations, making it attractive for investment [7] - The report emphasizes the need for further market-oriented pricing reforms to support the integration of renewable energy [7] Summary by Sections Electricity Generation - In November 2025, the electricity generation of large-scale power plants increased by 2.7% year-on-year, but the growth rate decreased by 5.2 percentage points compared to October 2025 [10] - The growth of renewable energy generation significantly improved, with wind power increasing by 22.0% and solar power by 23.4% year-on-year [10] - The report notes that the growth of hydropower decreased but remained high, while thermal power generation turned negative with a decline of 4.2% [10] Coal Prices - Port coal prices have been declining, with the Qinhuangdao port's Q5500 coal price at 703 RMB/ton, down 5.6% week-on-week [16] - The report indicates that high coal inventories and low demand from downstream power plants are contributing to the price drop [7] - The report anticipates that the decline in spot coal prices may gradually narrow due to improved acceptance from power plants [7] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on utility stocks, particularly in thermal power, hydropower, and nuclear power sectors, highlighting specific companies such as Huadian International and China General Nuclear Power [7] - It recommends investing in high-quality hydropower companies due to their low cost per kilowatt-hour and stable business models [7] - The report also notes the potential for growth in wind and solar sectors under carbon neutrality expectations [7] Market Performance - The utility sector index fell by 0.6%, underperforming the CSI 300 index by 0.3 percentage points [41] - Among sub-sectors, hydropower, thermal power, and wind power saw declines, while solar power showed a slight increase of 0.9% [43]