Minsheng Securities·2026-01-04 03:11Group 1 - The report highlights that industrial metal prices have shown a significant upward trend, particularly for copper and tin, which are constrained by supply issues. Prices have gradually increased throughout the year, with copper reaching a historical high [14][15][39]. - The overall performance of the non-ferrous metal sector has been impressive, with a year-to-date weighted average increase of 100.46% as of December 11, 2025, outperforming major indices like the Shanghai Composite and CSI 300 [26][33]. - The macroeconomic environment is expected to remain favorable for industrial metals in 2026, with continued liquidity support from the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate cuts and domestic policies aimed at boosting demand [39][10]. Group 2 - The report identifies AI and energy storage as significant drivers of marginal demand growth for copper and aluminum, with substantial capital expenditures from major cloud service providers expected to continue [45][58]. - For copper, the demand from AI data centers is projected to add approximately 26.8 thousand tons to total copper demand in 2026, driven by increased infrastructure investments [58][59]. - In the aluminum sector, while demand growth is anticipated, it is expected to be more limited compared to copper, with projected aluminum demand from data centers reaching around 78 thousand tons globally by 2026 [64][66]. Group 3 - The supply side for copper remains constrained due to ongoing production cuts and delays in new mining projects, which are expected to exacerbate structural shortages in the market [42][43]. - The aluminum market is facing a rigid supply ceiling domestically, with limited growth in production capacity and risks of shutdowns due to high electricity costs [43][44]. - The report recommends several companies with strong growth potential in the copper sector, including Shengtun Mining, Zangge Mining, and Zijin Mining, as well as companies in the aluminum sector like China Aluminum and China Hongqiao [11][39].