张再宇国泰君安期货高级分析师

Report Industry Investment Rating The provided content does not mention the report industry investment rating. Core Viewpoints of the Report - The bottom space of nickel price is expected to shift from pyrometallurgy to hydrometallurgy in 2026, with the front - end smelting entering a second peak of low - cost replacement of high - cost. The combined low - cost and surplus volume is over 360,000 tons, while the nickel - iron to nickel - matte production in 2025 was about 270,000 tons [3][68]. - The price difference between nickel - iron and nickel sulfate/refined nickel is expected to converge in the long - term, with the industry chain forming a parallel pattern of hydrometallurgy - nickel sulfate/refined nickel and nickel - iron - stainless steel. If the Indonesian nickel ore quota is implemented, nickel - iron will rise more than pure nickel; otherwise, pure nickel will decline [4][69]. - The path of price difference regression may be bumpy. In 2026, domestic enterprises may consider selling MHP and squeezing MHP profits [4][69]. - The upper limit of nickel price depends on the uncertainty of Indonesian policies. The long - term nickel price is still promising, especially in 2027 due to the demand from solid - state batteries and other emerging sectors [4][69]. - From a static balance perspective, a surplus of about 220,000 - 230,000 tons is expected in 2026, mainly due to the over - supply in the smelting end [5][70]. Summary by Related Catalogs Supply: Shift to Hydrometallurgy in the Production Cycle - In 2025, intermediate products and nickel sulfate were in short supply, while refined nickel had significant inventory accumulation. The industry mode and resource integration led to more flexible conversion between standard and non - standard products [10][12]. - In 2026, Indonesia's hydrometallurgical MHP will be the largest source of supply. The planned production capacity from 2026 - 2027 is close to 550,000 tons, with an expected increase of 350,000 tons in production capacity by the end of 2026. The actual increase in supply is mainly from three projects, with an expected year - on - year increase of 160,000 tons to 620,000 tons in 2026 [13]. - The total capacity of the key oxygen - rich side - blowing incremental projects from 2026 - 2027 is about 80,000 tons. The output of Indonesian oxygen - rich side - blown nickel matte is expected to increase by 30,000 tons to 70,000 tons in 2026 [15]. - The trend of RKEF converting to nickel matte is decreasing. The traditional pyrometallurgy is facing challenges, with the bottom space of nickel price shifting from pyrometallurgy to hydrometallurgy [21]. - The global nickel - iron supply is expected to increase by 60,000 tons to 2.26 million tons in 2026. However, due to the squeeze of hydrometallurgy on pyrometallurgy, the supply elasticity of nickel - iron will increase [25]. Risk: Uncertainty of Indonesian Policies - Indonesia has the ability and motivation to support prices. It can resolve the surplus contradiction by cutting 9% of nickel supply. Currently, it is taking a moderate approach to support prices, with the full cost of pyrometallurgical nickel - iron rising by 5% year - on - year [30]. - The cost of MHP has increased, but the high cobalt price offsets part of it. In the long - term, Indonesia may cut the quota to control the surplus, but an immediate "one - size - fits - all" policy is still challenging [34]. Demand: Contradiction May Not Be Prominent, Focus on Ternary in the Long - Term - In 2026, the growth rate of global electric vehicle demand will be moderate, with the increase in market penetration as the core logic. The total global electric vehicle sales are expected to increase by 13% to 23.75 million units [37]. - The growth of the Chinese electric vehicle market may slow down, but the structural market has bright spots, with an expected increase of about 1.5 million units in domestic demand [39]. - The overseas market growth mainly comes from Europe and emerging regions, while the US market may have a negative impact [42]. - The growth rate of global ternary battery installation is not expected to be high in 2026. The proportion of ternary battery installation may decline by 6% to 36%. The long - term demand depends on emerging sectors such as solid - state batteries [43]. - The alloy demand growth is expected to be limited, with marginal attention on high - temperature and corrosion - resistant alloys. The demand for stainless steel is less elastic and may not have outstanding performance [50][63].