Investment Rating - The report maintains an investment rating of "Outperform" for the lithium battery industry [5][6]. Core Insights - The lithium battery sector has experienced a general price increase across the supply chain, with significant growth in raw material prices, particularly lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which have risen by 64.40% and 77.51% respectively since early December 2025 [5][6]. - In December 2025, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales reached 1.71 million units, marking a year-on-year increase of 7.14% and maintaining a monthly sales share of 52.26%, driven by supportive policies and improved cost-performance of new energy vehicles [5][14]. - The report highlights that the overall industry outlook remains positive, with expectations for continued growth in both the NEV and lithium battery sectors, despite a projected slowdown in sales growth rates for 2026 due to base effects and tax incentives [5][14]. Summary by Sections Market Review - In December 2025, the lithium battery index fell by 1.04%, underperforming the CSI 300 index, which rose by 2.28% during the same period [2][9]. - The report notes that 48 stocks in the lithium battery sector rose while 56 fell, with a median decline of 0.87% among the stocks [9]. New Energy Vehicle Sales and Industry Prices - NEV sales in December 2025 totaled 1.71 million units, with a year-on-year growth of 7.14% and a month-on-month decline of 6.02% [5][14]. - The total installed capacity of power batteries in December 2025 was 98.1 GWh, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 30.11% [5][14]. - The report indicates that the prices of key raw materials, including battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, have seen substantial increases, with prices reaching 157,000 CNY/ton and 150,000 CNY/ton respectively [5][14]. Industry and Company News - The report mentions significant developments in the industry, including the launch of new production lines and the expansion of battery manufacturing capacities by major companies [54]. - Notable announcements include the establishment of a new battery cell production facility by Volkswagen in Germany and the opening of a large battery manufacturing plant by Envision AESC in the UK [54].