Investment Rating - The report maintains an investment rating of "Outperform the Market" for the lithium battery industry [5][9]. Core Insights - The lithium battery sector experienced a price increase across the supply chain, with significant growth in raw material prices, particularly lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, which rose by 64.40% and 77.51% respectively from early December 2025 to mid-January 2026 [5][41]. - In December 2025, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales reached 1.71 million units, marking a year-on-year growth of 7.14% and a monthly market 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 in 2026, despite a projected slowdown in sales growth 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 were 1.71 million units, with a year-on-year increase of 7.14% and a month-on-month decrease of 6.02% [5][14]. - The total installed capacity of power batteries in December 2025 was 98.1 GWh, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 30.11% [5][14]. - The report indicates that the prices of upstream raw materials have generally increased, with battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide prices significantly rising [5][41]. Industry and Company News - The report includes various industry updates, such as the launch of new battery production lines by major companies like CATL and the establishment of new manufacturing facilities in Europe [54].