Haitong Securities International·2026-01-04 11:50Investment Rating - The investment rating for the essential consumer goods sector in China is "Outperform" for multiple companies including Kweichow Moutai, Wuliangye, and Yili [1]. Core Insights - In December 2025, four out of eight monitored essential consumer sectors showed positive growth, while four experienced negative growth. The growing sectors included condiments, frozen foods, soft drinks, and catering services, while the declining sectors comprised mid-to-high-end baijiu, mass-market baijiu, dairy products, and beer. The overall performance indicates a slight improvement in growth rates for most sectors, driven by policy support and changing consumer preferences [27]. Revenue Forecasts - The revenue for mid-to-high-end baijiu in December was 28.4 billion yuan, down 17.0% year-on-year, with a cumulative revenue of 377.6 billion yuan for the year, reflecting a 7.1% decline [28]. - The mass-market baijiu sector generated 25.2 billion yuan in December, a 3.1% year-on-year decline, with a total revenue of 206.1 billion yuan for the year, down 7.9% [29]. - The beer industry reported revenue of 8.2 billion yuan in December, a decrease of 5.7% year-on-year, with a cumulative revenue of 170.5 billion yuan for the year, down 0.3% [30]. - The condiments sector achieved revenue of 41.1 billion yuan in December, up 1.4% year-on-year, with a total of 453.9 billion yuan for the year, reflecting a 1.3% increase [31]. - Dairy products generated 31 billion yuan in December, down 3.4% year-on-year, with a cumulative revenue of 450 billion yuan for the year, down 2.3% [32]. - The frozen food sector's revenue reached 9.57 billion yuan in December, up 4.0% year-on-year, with a total of 106 billion yuan for the year, a 2.3% increase [33]. - The soft drink industry reported revenue of 40.2 billion yuan in December, up 3.6% year-on-year, with a cumulative revenue of 698.5 billion yuan for the year, a 4.1% increase [35]. - The catering sector recorded revenue of 13.9 billion yuan in December, up 0.7% year-on-year, with a total of 174.6 billion yuan for the year, down 0.6% [36]. Subsector Performance - The mid-to-high-end baijiu market showed a pattern of initial growth followed by a downturn, with significant price corrections observed at the end of December [28]. - The mass-market baijiu segment remained resilient, supported by government policies and year-end holiday spending [29]. - Beer consumption faced challenges due to cold weather and seasonal factors, impacting outdoor consumption scenarios [30]. - The condiments sector benefited from promotional activities and a slight recovery in catering demand, although profitability remains under pressure [31]. - Dairy products continued to experience weak demand, with increased discounting observed in retail channels [32]. - The frozen food sector maintained robust consumer demand, with stable growth in customized orders [33]. - The soft drink sector saw a narrowing of discount margins, indicating reduced competition during the off-season [35]. - The catering industry showed signs of stabilization, although mid-to-high-end dining demand remains sluggish [36].