GUOTAI HAITONG SECURITIES·2026-01-26 04:35Investment Rating - The report assigns an "Overweight" rating for the lithium battery materials industry [1] Core Insights - The report emphasizes the shift away from excess supply mentality, highlighting the potential for non-linear profit growth among leading companies in the lithium battery materials sector due to rigid supply against continuously growing demand [3][4] - It suggests a focus on lithium-related materials such as lithium iron phosphate, lithium carbonate, hexafluorophosphate, and aluminum foil, while also considering heavy asset-related materials like separators [4] - The report forecasts significant growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market and explosive growth in energy storage, with global EV sales expected to reach 23.54 million units in 2025, a 29.1% increase year-on-year [4] - It notes that the energy storage battery shipments are projected to reach 640 GWh in 2025, marking an 82.9% year-on-year growth [4] - The report anticipates a demand cycle to commence in 2026, supported by favorable domestic and international policies [4] Summary by Sections Investment Recommendations - The report recommends focusing on leading companies in the lithium battery materials sector, including 盛新锂能 (Shengxin Lithium Energy), 湖南裕能 (Hunan Youneng), 天赐材料 (Tianci Materials), and others, while also highlighting battery leaders like 宁德时代 (CATL) and 亿纬锂能 (EVE Energy) [4][7] Market Data - The report provides operational data for several listed companies in the lithium battery sector, indicating varying levels of profitability and cash flow, with 宁德时代 (CATL) showing a net profit of 49 million in Q3 2025 and a debt-to-asset ratio of 61% [6] - It includes a table summarizing earnings per share (EPS) and price-to-earnings (PE) ratios for key companies, with 宁德时代 (CATL) having an EPS of 14.90 for 2025E and a PE ratio of 23.29 [7]