烧碱期货日报-20260116

Report Summary 1. Industry Investment Rating No investment rating information is provided in the report. 2. Core Viewpoint The short - term outlook for the caustic soda market is bearish. The supply - demand contradiction has not been effectively alleviated, and prices are expected to remain under pressure. An approach of selling on rallies is recommended. Without a substantial improvement in the supply - demand contradiction, caustic soda prices are unlikely to have a trending upward movement and will mainly show a weak and volatile pattern [4]. 3. Summary by Directory Today's Market Review - The main contract of caustic soda futures on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange showed a volatile downward trend. It opened at 2164 yuan/ton, reached a high of 2169 yuan/ton, a low of 2123 yuan/ton, and closed at 2131 yuan/ton, down 2.74% from the previous trading day. The trading volume was 485,679 lots, and the open interest was 208,787 lots, an increase of 9,209 lots from the previous day. The total open interest of the variety reached 325,746 lots, continuing the recent upward trend [2]. Spot Market Situation - On January 13, 2026, the market price (mid - price) of 30% diaphragm caustic soda in North China was 720 yuan/ton. According to Business Society data, the benchmark price of caustic soda on that day was 726.00 yuan/ton, down 1.63% from the beginning of the month (738.00 yuan/ton), in the low - price range of the year. There is a significant basis between the caustic soda futures price and the spot price, and the market shows a contango pattern [2]. Main Influencing Factors Analysis - Supply - demand fundamentals: The current caustic soda market has a pattern of "excess supply + weak demand". The supply side maintains high - level production with sufficient supply. On the demand side, non - aluminum industries mainly make low - price and rigid purchases, with low willingness to buy at high prices. The demand in the main alumina production areas has not changed much, and there is no new demand [2]. - Macroeconomic environment: In December 2025, China's manufacturing PMI was 50.1%, above the boom - bust line, indicating an improvement in manufacturing sentiment, but it has not significantly boosted the downstream demand for caustic soda [3]. - Related product market: In the chlor - alkali industry chain, the PVC market was relatively strong today but failed to drive up the caustic soda price, suggesting that the supply - demand contradiction of caustic soda itself is the dominant factor [3]. Short - term Outlook - The caustic soda market fundamentals remain bearish in the short term. The supply side maintains high - level production, and there are no obvious signs of improvement on the demand side. Prices are expected to remain under pressure. Key factors to watch include basis changes, inventory inflection points, downstream demand changes, and the impact of macro - economic policies on manufacturing demand [4].