Guoxin Securities·2026-01-25 07:54Investment Rating - The investment rating for the lithium battery industry is "Outperform the Market" (maintained) [1] Core Insights - The lithium salt prices have risen, with lithium carbonate priced at 171,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 31,000 yuan/ton compared to two weeks ago [2] - The report highlights the acceleration of solid-state battery industrialization, with various companies announcing significant projects and collaborations [4] - Demand for lithium batteries is expected to remain strong, with several leading companies identified as potential investment opportunities [2] Industry Dynamics - Lithium salt prices have increased, with the current price of lithium carbonate at 171,000 yuan/ton, up 31,000 yuan/ton from two weeks ago [2] - The prices of ternary cathodes and lithium iron phosphate cathodes have also risen, while the prices of anodes, separators, and electrolytes remain stable [2] - The report notes that the price of square ternary power cells has increased by 0.057 yuan/Wh compared to two weeks ago [2] Investment Recommendations - The report suggests focusing on leading companies in the lithium battery industry with low valuations amid strong demand, including CATL, Yiwei Lithium Energy, and others [2] - It also highlights companies leading in the low-altitude economy and robotics sectors, as well as those involved in solid-state and sodium battery materials [2] Solid-State Battery Developments - The solid-state battery industry is advancing, with several companies announcing new projects and collaborations [4] - CATL has released a sodium battery solution for light commercial vehicles, capable of operating at -30°C [4] - Various companies are entering partnerships to enhance solid-state battery technology and production capabilities [10] Market Performance - The lithium battery sector has seen a decline of 4.4% in the past two weeks, while the battery chemicals sector increased by 4.1% [8] - Key individual stocks have shown varied performance, with CATL down 1.5% and Hunan Youneng up 11.2% [8] New Energy Vehicle Data - In December 2025, domestic new energy vehicle sales reached 1.71 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7% [4] - The penetration rate of new energy vehicles in the domestic market reached 52.3%, up 6.5 percentage points year-on-year [4] Charging Infrastructure - As of December 2025, the total number of public charging piles in China reached 4.717 million, with a total power of approximately 17,967 MW [24] - The utilization rate of public charging piles was approximately 6.96%, showing a slight decrease year-on-year [24]