Dongguan Securities·2026-01-23 11:39Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Overweight" rating for the lithium battery industry, expecting the industry index to outperform the market index by over 10% in the next six months [47]. Core Insights - Global energy storage battery shipments are projected to grow by over 80% year-on-year in 2025, with significant contributions from both the automotive and energy storage sectors [40]. - The lithium battery index has seen a decline of 5.75% over the past two weeks, underperforming the CSI 300 index by 5.46 percentage points [12]. - The report highlights a positive outlook for the lithium battery market, driven by strong demand in the energy storage sector and supportive government policies [43]. Summary by Sections Market Review - As of January 22, 2026, the lithium battery index has decreased by 4.84% year-to-date, lagging behind the CSI 300 index by 6.87 percentage points [12]. - The report notes a recent upward trend in lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide prices, with increases of 19.84% and 17.19% respectively over the past two weeks [24][5]. Price Changes in the Lithium Battery Supply Chain - Prices for battery-grade lithium carbonate averaged 166,100 CNY/ton, while lithium hydroxide (LiOH 56.5%) was priced at 160,200 CNY/ton as of January 22, 2026 [24]. - Positive price movements were observed in cathode materials, with lithium iron phosphate and NCM materials seeing increases of 16.60% and 12.35% respectively [27][22]. Industry News - By the end of 2025, China's new energy storage capacity is expected to reach 144.7 GW, marking an 85% increase year-on-year [40]. - The global lithium battery production is projected to reach 3,092 GWh in 2026, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 34.6% [40]. Company Announcements - Companies such as Penghui Energy and Defu Technology have reported significant expected profit increases for 2025, indicating a positive trend in the industry [42]. - CATL has introduced a new sodium battery solution, showcasing innovation in the battery technology space [40]. Weekly Perspective - The report emphasizes that while the demand for power batteries may weaken in the short term due to seasonal factors, the energy storage market continues to grow rapidly, supported by favorable policies [43].