Guoxin Securities·2026-02-23 07:54Investment Rating - The investment rating for the lithium battery industry is "Outperform the Market" (maintained) [1] Core Insights - The lithium salt price has decreased, while cell prices have increased. As of February 13, the price of lithium carbonate is 144,000 yuan/ton, down 17,000 yuan/ton from two weeks ago. The prices of ternary cathodes, lithium iron phosphate cathodes, electrolytes, and lithium hexafluorophosphate have also decreased, while the prices of anodes and separators remain stable. The prices for square ternary power cells, lithium iron phosphate power cells, and energy storage cells have increased slightly [2][3] - The solid-state battery industry is accelerating, with the first national standard for automotive solid-state batteries expected to be reviewed and approved in April and officially released in July. Companies like Gotion High-Tech and BASF are collaborating to develop solid-state battery technology [3][10] - The report suggests focusing on leading companies in the lithium battery industry with low valuations amid improving demand, including CATL, EVE Energy, and others [3] Industry Dynamics - The domestic new energy vehicle sales in January 2026 reached 945,000 units, a slight year-on-year increase but a 45% decrease month-on-month. The penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China is 40.3%, up 1.3 percentage points year-on-year [3] - In January 2026, new energy vehicle sales in nine European countries reached 205,200 units, a 20% year-on-year increase but a 37% month-on-month decrease. The penetration rate in Europe is 30.6%, up 7.1 percentage points year-on-year [3] - The U.S. saw new energy vehicle sales of 77,600 units in January 2026, a 31% year-on-year decrease and a 30% month-on-month decrease, with a penetration rate of 7.0% [3] Company Developments - CATL announced an employee stock ownership plan on February 9, 2026, with a total investment of no more than 743 million yuan, involving approximately 404,680 shares [3][15] - EVE Energy released its seventh stock option and restricted stock incentive plan on February 13, 2026, with a total of 150 million shares to be granted [3][18] - The U.S. Treasury Department updated details on the OBBBA Act on February 12, 2026, tightening certification for specific foreign entities and detailing the calculation of material assistance ratios [3][13][14] Market Performance - Over the past two weeks, the lithium battery sector has increased by 4.1%, while the battery chemicals sector has risen by 4.7%. The lithium-specific equipment sector has decreased by 1.8% [7] - Key stock price changes from February 8 to February 13 include a 1.0% decrease for CATL and a 12.3% increase for Enjie [7]